Category: kesq-local-news

Luis Avila

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) — A recent statement from the White House suggesting a potential link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism has sparked concern among families, medical experts, and autism advocates — many of whom say the rhetoric is dangerous.

Blake Baxter, a board member of the Autism Society Inland Empire and a self-advocate with autism, says claims made by the government are misleading.

“It says we see a correlation. More research is needed… Correlation means you see two things that are kind of occurring at the same time or in the same situation. It doesn’t mean either one is causing the other. Causation is where you say we’ve determined that this causes this. This is not what the study says.”

Blake Baxter, Autism Society Inland Empire Board Member

According to Baxter and other experts, political rhetoric is distorting the scientific findings, creating confusion and fear among families. He says this can do real harm — especially when it shifts the blame for autism onto mothers.

“The language that is being used by politicians to talk about this correlation is catastrophizing. It is alienating to autistic people and in many cases, it might lead people to incorrect assumptions. With this announcement about Tylenol, we are once again putting the onus on women to prevent autism.”

Blake Baxter, Autism Society Inland Empire Board Member

Medical professionals and advocates across the country are echoing similar concerns, urging families to consult healthcare providers and avoid making decisions based on headlines or political commentary.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Garrett Hottle

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) A verified GoFundMe is now helping the family of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the Riverside County teen found in the trunk of a Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard earlier this month. The fundraiser lists Esmeralda Lozano as the organizer on behalf of the Rivas Hernandez family, and GoFundMe confirmed to News Channel 3 via email that money raised is going directly to the family

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner says Celeste’s remains have been released to her family, and LAPD says the investigation remains active. Detectives served a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills home tied to the singer known as d4vd and collected evidence, but so far no arrests have been announced and no cause of death has been released.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were first dispatched on April 5, 2024, to the 33000 block of Jamieson Street in Lake Elsinore for a runaway report.

“Upon arrival, deputies spoke with the reporting party, who advised the female juvenile had left the location in an unknown direction,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s said via email. “Deputies conducted a search of the area but were unable to locate the female juvenile.”

The teen was entered into the missing person system after deputies could not locate her, police said.

On Sept. 17, 2025, the Sheriff’s Office says LAPD notified them Celeste had been located and identified as the victim in a death investigation.

The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office told News Channel 3 it typically does not get involved unless a crime is found to have occurred in its jurisdiction. At this time, the office says it does not have ownership of the case, and that any prosecution would remain in Los Angeles County unless transferred. The office also said its records do not show any cases relating to Celeste Rivas.

Records and prior reporting reviewed by News Channel 3 indicate Celeste had been reported missing in 2024, and she was identified after workers at the Hollywood tow yard discovered remains in the trunk of a towed Tesla.

In Riverside County, youth advocates say they are seeing more instability among missing teens. “Since Covid, we’ve seen an uptick in chronic runaways,” said Shawn Johnson, Director of Youth Services at Operation SafeHouse, in a Zoom interview with News Channel 3.

“Oftentimes it’s not kids just running away for the thrill of it, it’s kids fleeing an environment of which they feel unsafe,” he explained.

Verified fundraiser: “Help Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s Family” on GoFundMe. GoFundMeOperation SafeHouse (Riverside): 951-351-4418, 24-hour crisis line 800-561-6944. Operation SafehouseSafeHouse of the Desert (Coachella Valley): 760-343-3211. safehouseofthedesert.com

News Channel 3 will continue to follow the investigation and update this story with new information as it becomes available.

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Cynthia White

UPDATE: SCE was able to restore power to more than 1,200 of the affected customers by 4:00 p.m. As of 5:45 p.m., 163 customers are without power, with an estimated restoration time of 12:30 a.m. on Saturday.

UPDATE: As of 2:30 p.m., Southern California Edison reports 863 customers remain without power, and there is no time estimate available for restoration of service.

PALM DESERT, Calif. — More than 1,400 customers in Palm Desert are without power Friday afternoon, as Southern California Edison is analyzing the problem.

According to the utility company’s website, the outage was first reported at approximately 12:24 p.m., with a total of 1,859 customers impacted. As of 1:45 p.m., that number is at 1,396.

The areas of Palm Desert appear to be in the area of Country Club Drive between Monterey Avenue and Portola Avenue, but may reach further.

Traffic signals have been reported out in the area of Portola Avenue and Country Club Drive, with traffic backup.

The the SCE website reports a field investigator has been dispatched to investigate the cause of the outage. Repair crews have not yet begun work, and there is no estimation yet of when service will be restored.

The reason for the outage remains under investigation.

Stay with News Channel 3 for updates.

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Athena Jreij

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – At critical overcapacity, the Coachella Valley Animal Campus (CVAC) says they are urgently looking for adopters and fosters this weekend.

Marlo Clingman, the manager at CVAC, says they have no room for any dog that arrives today due to critical overcrowding.

“Most of our large dogs have been here for more than 30 days and that’s not a good situation. After two weeks, they start to show signs of kennel stress,” Clingman says.

According to Riverside County shelter records, they accepted 112 animals on Thursday, September 25th. This week, they’ve taken in 287 dogs county-wide. The county is currently holding 1,069 dogs with just 500 kennels.

At CVAC, that overcrowding is obvious with 3 to 4 dogs in a kennel.

The shelter has been above a 90% live-release rate, the standard for ‘no-kill’ shelters, but Clingman says they’re facing difficult decisions.

“We’ve been above the 90% live release rate for dogs for May, June and July. We had no euthanasia for space or behavior this past month.”

It’s a positive change for the county who has battled accusations of higher-than-normal euthanasia rates. Now, Clingman hopes they can keep up the progress going into season.

“I will probably be going home with a dog tonight to clear kennel space. Our staff is stepping up, we need you to too.”

If you’re interested in adopting, visit: https://rcdas.org/adoptable-pets

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KESQ-Newsroom

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Dozens attended the Indio Police Department (IPD) local car seat event this weekend.

Patrol officers assisted and shared information with parents on children’s car seating.

Elvia Ojeda, parent, said she’s thankful IPD provided this opportunity to the community.

“I’m just so excited,” Ojeda said. “They were so nice. My son is normally really shy, but today he was so excited.”

Andrew Leyva , Lieutenant, said officers want to ensure children are secure.

“We want to maintain the most vulnerable population of our community, which is kids,” Leyva said. “People are not aware, but the number one cause of child fatalities or child death is crashes. We want to make sure that kids are properly secured.”

The event happened on Saturday, September 27th at I-10 Toyota in Indio from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Organizers provided new car seats to any family whose child’s car seat does not meet the requirements, from the over 30 brand-new car seats all donated by the I-10 Auto Mall dealers.

The event was free and welcomed all parents.

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Cynthia White

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – After hearing of its safety advantages from Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills, The Palm Springs City Council voted unanimously in favor to purchase the new Flock Nova system on Thursday night.

Mills explained to the Council the Flock Nova is an operating system has been used successfully to identify suspects by combining data bases that the department would normally need to access separately in order to gather information on a suspect.

He added, “What would have taken us minimally hours, normally days, to accomplish, we’ll have at our fingertips and hopefully we can use that information to identify people within minutes. So this changes the ball game completely and allows us to identify people as rapidly as possible. So it gives us that opportunity to find that person, stop them and get them into custody.”

Mills also assured the Council that civil rights would be protected; there was no potential for abuse of the data, as it cannot be shared with the federal government. He said the only exception he would make would be in the event of a terrorist threat, giving the example of the terrorist bombing of the IVF clinic in May.

The Palm Springs Police Department says the system could be up and running in about 3 months.

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Luis Avila

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) – As electric bikes and scooters continue to grow in popularity, they’re also catching the attention of thieves — leading to a troubling rise in thefts.

Following the arrest of two men accused of stealing electric scooters in Rancho Mirage, local shop owners are urging riders to take extra precautions to protect their rides.

Bryan Newman, owner of Pedego Electric Bikes in La Quinta, says thefts are becoming more common — and not just from the streets.

“It’s probably a little more common than most people would assume. We’ve had some theft with bikes that were stolen that were customers’ bikes that were in for service that were just put outside for a moment.”

Bryan Newman, Pedego Electric Bikes Owner

One brazen theft was even caught on camera last year, when someone walked up to the front of Newman’s store and rode off with a bike in broad daylight.

According to Newman, many of these thefts are crimes of opportunity. Some bikes are used for a quick getaway, then abandoned. But others are stripped down or resold, making them nearly impossible to identify.

Newman says it all starts with the basics: investing in a high-quality lock and knowing how to use it properly.

“Having a good quality lock is good and understanding not to lock them through the tires. Often people can just loosen a tire with a couple of axel nuts, in some cases by hand.”

Bryan Newman, Pedego Electric Bikes Owner

But heavy-duty locks aren’t always enough and can be expensive. That’s why some riders are turning to tech — such as Apple AirTags or other GPS tracking devices — to keep tabs on their bikes. Newman and other local shop owners are also taking steps to educate their customers on theft prevention and smart storage practices.

As electric mobility continues to grow in the desert, one thing is clear — riders need to stay one step ahead to keep their e-rides safe.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Haleemon Anderson

PALM SPRINGS, CA (KESQ) – Palm Springs Mayor Ron deHarte presented the Spirit of Palm Springs award to four community leaders.

The annual award, presented at City Hall on Thursday, honors individuals and businesses whose dedication, innovation, and community service exemplify the values of the city of Palm Springs.

The recipients of the prestigious annual honor are:

Julieta Quinn, General Manager of Spencer’s Restaurant

Lili Rodriguez, artistic director of the Palm Springs International Film Society;

Pedro S.G. Rodriguez, executive director/CEO, Coachella Valley Housing Coalition;

Marcel Ramirez, owner of Gabino’s Creperie and

Erika Flannery, co-owner of Cafe La Jefa.

“Each recipient has made significant contributions that strengthen our community fabric and enhance our city’s reputation as a destination of choice,” said Mayor deHarte.

“These remarkable honorees represent the entrepreneurial spirit, compassion, and commitment to excellence that make Palm Springs such a special place to live, work and visit.”

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Kenji Ito

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) — La Quinta high school received a $25,000 reward in T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights Competition.

“It’s an absolute dream,” La Quinta activities director Cristina Velazquez said. “When I got the news, I almost blacked out. I was so excited. I was just so happy that our kids got this opportunity to build, to create, to come together. This is a huge amount of money that is going to go directly back to the community, directly back to the students, to activities, to athletics.”

The gym erupted when the students found out the school won $25,000, and their school spirit was one of the many reasons Laquinta received this reward.

“What they did is they got everyone involved,” T-Mobile market manager of the Coachella Valley Jose Maldonado said. “From the principal, assistant principal, and they were on it. The communication between the school and T-Mobile, and how to do it, really helped a lot, but I think what it is really showcases the pride.” 

Along with the multi-thousand-dollar check, the Blackhawks have a chance to win a stadium renovation, which would be a dream for the staff at LQ.

“I can’t even uh wrap my head around it right now because it’s going 100 different directions,” La Quinta athletic director Ryan Flores said. “Thinking press box, field house, weight room, possibly bleachers, stadium seating, you know, so sky’s the limit when you’re thinking big picture and what can we do that’s gonna benefit everybody.”

Competing against 24 high schools across the country for the ultimate prize, the school is using this opportunity for a greater purpose.

“I think this is probably the biggest gift we can give to La Quinta, not just to La Quinta High School, but La Quinta as a community,” La Quinta activities director Cristina Velazquez said. “A lot is on the line, but I think that we can rally together.”

If you want to participate in T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights Competition, you can do so by clicking here.

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