Category: kesq-local-news

City News Service

VAN NUYS, Calif. (KESQ) – Criminal proceedings were suspended today after a doubt was declared about the mental competency of a model and social media influencer charged with six felony counts, including burglary and grand theft, involving alleged victims she met through dating apps.

Adva Lavie, 29, is due in at the Mental Health Courthouse in Hollywood Sept. 9, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Lavie, also known as Mia Ventura, was charged last year with stealing money and other property from people she met through dating apps — including wealthy older men and some younger women.

Prosecutors say she targeted victims in Westlake Village, West Hollywood, Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from 2023 to 2025. They say she posed as a girlfriend and travel companion to gain access to the victims’ homes and then allegedly stole cash, gold and high-end designer items.

She is charged with two counts each of grand theft and unauthorized use of personal identifying information, along with one count each of first-degree residential burglary and first-degree residential burglary with a person present.

A judge denied the defense’s request for a mental health diversion program for Lavie earlier this month.

Lavie is also facing similar charges in Riverside County for a case in Indio during music festival season last year.

Lavie had been engaged to billionaire and former gubernatorial candidate Stephen Cloobeck, who was arrested in West Hollywood in May for allegedly trying to dissuade multiple people from testifying in a criminal case against his then-fiancée.

Cloobeck — a real estate magnate who dropped his bid for governor late last year and threw his support behind now-disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell — pleaded not guilty Aug. 7 to charges that he tried to dissuade people from testifying in a criminal case against Lavie.

He was charged April 28 with two felony counts of attempting to prevent or dissuade a witness/victim from attending a proceeding by force or threat, and one felony count of preventing or dissuading a witness or victim from attending or testifying at a trial or proceeding.

He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of annoying telephone calls — allegedly directed at the attorney of one of the alleged victims in his fiancée’s case.

The victims named in the criminal complaint against Cloobeck are all alleged victims in Lavie’s case.

The California Post reported that Cloobeck has called off his engagement to Lavie.

Click here to follow the original article.

Jesus Reyes

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – College of the Desert trustee Rubén AríAztlán Pérez pleaded guilty to DUI charges earlier this week and received 60 months of probation.

Pérez, 33, reached a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office, authorities confirmed on Wednesday. On Monday, he pled guilty to Driving Under the Influence BAC .08 or Higher and an open container while driving. Two other counts were dismissed in the interest of justice. He also admitted to his prior DUI case.

He was granted probation for 60 months and ordered to complete the Impaired Drivers Program.

Perez was arrested shortly after midnight on May 25 in Palm Desert. Details of the arrest were not publicly available.

It was Perez’s second DUI arrest. His first arrest came in February 2023 in La Quinta. A year later, he pleaded guilty to charges and was sentenced to four days in custody, which he would serve under a work release program. He was also sentenced to 36 months of summary probation. Probation terms include enrolling in and satisfactorily completing a first-offender DUI program for nine months, which had to be completed by June 18, 2025.

Shortly after his most recent arrest, Perez announced he was taking a leave of absence to address alcoholism and depression. He recently returned to his position, and last week, he issued a public apology during the Board of Trustees’ meeting.

“Over the past few months, I’ve had to overcome some of my own mistakes and shortcomings. I don’t pretend to have everything figured out; I’m still learning, I’m still growing, and I’m still working every day to become a better person and a better public servant,” Perez said during the Aug. 21 meeting.

Perez continued, “I’ve also learned to firsthand how important mental health, recovery, accountability, and grace can be. There are people through our community who are struggling quietly with addiction, mental health challenges, grief, or circumstances that the rest of us may know nothing about. I hope we continue building a college where we people know that asking for help is a sign of courage. Where a mistake doesn’t have to define yours or someone’s life. Where second or even third chances can lead to something meaningful.

The trustee is set to return for another four-year term as he is running unopposed to represent Area 1 on the November ballot.

“I am incredibly humbled by the trust you have placed in me over the years. Running unopposed is something I don’t take for granted. To me, it isn’t something to become comfortable; it is an even greater responsibility to earn that trust every single day. I know I haven’t always gotten everything right. When I have fallen short, I’ve tried to own it, learn from it, and do better. I will continue doing that. Serving this community and College of the Desert has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Perez said.

Perez is the son of Riverside County District 4 Supervisor Manuel Pérez.

Click here to follow the original article.

Tommy Gallegos

PALM SPRINGS, CA (KESQ)- The Palm Springs Cultural Center will host two free community tribute screenings to celebrate Dolly Parton and Tim Curry.

The Cultural Center says this September, they’re opening the doors of the Historic Camelot Theatre for two evenings to come together and celebrate Dolly Parton and Tim Curry—two singular performers who brought very different kinds of joy to the screen and left an unmistakable mark on popular culture.

The first screening is set for Sept 16 at 6pm, with a screening of 9 TO 5: Celebrating Dolly Parton.

The Cultural Center saying “Funny, fearless, and unmistakably Dolly. Join us for the workplace comedy that gave us Doralee Rhodes and one of the most iconic movie songs ever written.”

Then on Sept 23rd at 6pm, a screening of CLUE: Celebrating Tim Curry.

The Cultural Center saying “As the unforgettable Wadsworth, Curry is the comic engine behind one of the most beloved cult comedies of its generation.”

Both films are screening for free, but you must sign up on the eventbrite pages to catch these classics on the big screen at the Historic Camelot Theatre.

The Cultural Center says they welcome the community to come celebrate two artists who gave us so much.

Click here to follow the original article.

City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A federal jury today found that the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department bore some responsibility for the death of a 29-year-old Beaumont man who suffered fentanyl poisoning in jail while awaiting trial for attempted murder, recommending that the dead man’s family receive millions for their loss.

“After a week of trial, a jury unanimously found in favor of the Matus family and awarded $13.5 million in damages,” plaintiffs’ attorney Christian Contreras said. “The trial was vigorously defended by the county, but members of the Riverside community have now spoken, and the county jails need to be reformed to prevent further inmate deaths.”

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department says that the agency “makes every effort” to keep detainees safe, even while they choose to use illicit substances, after the department was found partly responsible for Matus Jr’s drug-related death.

“While our hearts go out to the decedent’s family for their loss, the sheriff’s office takes every precaution and makes every effort to ensure inmates are safe from dangers,” according to a statement released by the department Thursday. “We respect the legal process, but we are disappointed with the findings and the allocation of responsibility determined by the jury.”

The verdicts were returned to U.S. District Court Judge Sunshine Sykes in downtown Riverside on Wednesday morning. No future hearings were immediately scheduled, and there was no word on whether the county intends to appeal.

Executive Office spokeswoman Brooke Federico told City News Service that, because jurors determined the county was only “40% at fault … the county is responsible for $5.4 million of the total amount.”

The mother of Richard Matus Jr., Lisa Matus, filed the civil action against Sheriff Chad Bianco, several deputies and the county as a whole in early 2023, alleging violations of her son’s Constitutional right to equal protection under the law, deprivation of future relations with his family due to official negligence, failure to follow safe practices in the correctional system and other failings.

The county countered in court documents that Matus was responsible for his own actions and that the defendants lacked “sufficient knowledge or information or belief ” that there were “grounds (for) the allegations.”

Lisa Matus sued not only on behalf of herself, but her eldest son’s young daughter and son, whose identities were not disclosed.

The suit pivoted on whether correctional deputies assigned to the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta properly reacted when they were alerted to the fact Matus was in medical distress by a fellow inmate on the night of Aug. 11, 2022.

The plaintiffs characterized the mishandling of the emergency as a systemic problem, noting that Matus was one of 22 inmates who died in the county correctional system that year.

“The individuals named in the lawsuit were repeatedly put on notice of great dangers which existed within Riverside County’s correctional facilities through the long history of in-custody deaths (and) the record-breaking amount of fentanyl overdoses throughout all county correctional facilities,” according to the plaintiffs’ complaint. “Long before Richard Matus Jr.’s death, the sheriff’s department knew there existed great indifference to the safety and protection of inmates.”

In one of the defendants’ briefs, they asserted “there were no grounds for liability” under more than one of the theories put forward by the plaintiffs.

The bulk of the case centered on Deputy Angel Rojas’ response to the inmate intercom call stating Matus was catatonic and in need of immediate “medical intervention,” according to court papers.

The plaintiffs argued that the “endemic, ongoing and unabated risks of injury or death to inmates” tied to illicit drugs and other circumstances within the jail system stemmed from institutional carelessness.

It was unclear where Matus had obtained the fentanyl. He was pronounced dead in his jail cell.

At the time, he was awaiting trial, along with his younger brother, now 26-year-old Raymond Emilio Paul Matus of Beaumont, for a violent takeover robbery at a cannabis store in Banning on June 23, 2018.

Ray Matus was ultimately convicted of attempted murder, robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and sentence-enhancing allegations of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony and inflicting great bodily injury.

He was sentenced last year to 21 years to life in state prison.

Click here to follow the original article.

KESQ News Team

BERMUDA DUNES, CA (KESQ) – A Bermuda Dunes man was arrested after a multi-agency effort was initiated following a tip that the person possessed videos and images of child sexual abuse material.

Indio Police say on June 10, 2025, a CyberTip was received from social media platform Kik regarding a user suspected of possessing multiple videos and images of child sexual abuse material.

Following the tip, an Indio Police Department detective authored a search warrant for the suspected account. The investigation led authorities to an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with a residence in the 41400 block of Pedro Buff Drive in Bermuda Dunes.

Investigators subsequently obtained a search warrant for the residence.

On August 21, 2026, a joint operation involving the Riverside County Regional Computer and Technology Crime Task Force, Major Crimes Unit, and Special Enforcement Bureau Special Weapons and Tactics Team was conducted. The suspect, a 38-year-old Bermuda Dunes resident, was taken into custody while leaving the residence for work.

During the search of the home, investigators also located an illegally possessed assault weapon.

The suspect was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center on charges related to possession of child sexual abuse material and possession of the assault weapon.

Authorities said the arrest demonstrates the collaboration between multiple Riverside County law enforcement units, which worked together to carry out the investigation and arrest safely.

The suspect has since been released on bail and is scheduled to appear for arraignment at the Larson Justice Center on October 5, 2026.

Click here to follow the original article.

Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Palm Springs City Council members unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on new large-scale data center projects Wednesday night.

The 45-day pause gives the city time to study the potential impacts of the facilities before deciding whether additional regulations are needed.

During public comment, several residents spoke in favor of the moratorium, raising concerns about water use, electricity demand and infrastructure.

“Desert data centers have to use supplemental cooling systems because it’s hot,” one resident said. “The building of data centers anywhere in Palm Springs or the desert… is catastrophic and wholly irresponsible.”

Others spoke against the pause, saying Palm Springs should keep the door open to future development and the opportunities different types of data centers could bring as technology continues to change.

“Everything is changing rapidly, and our needs will change rapidly, especially with our fire departments and with our police departments. So it’s important that we protect our future and not stifle or negate possibilities,” said another resident.

The item was brought forward by Councilmember Grace Garner and specifically focuses on large-scale data centers.

Councilmembers discussed whether data centers should be clearly defined and addressed in the city’s upcoming zoning code update.

Garner said the city needs to be thoughtful about how it regulates an industry that is changing quickly. “And as we’ve seen in other communities across the country who have not had that happen, there are really huge detriments, and we don’t need that to happen here in our community,” she said.

Councilmembers also discussed the possibility of taking as long as two years to develop comprehensive zoning regulations for data centers.

Palm Springs joins other Coachella Valley cities taking action on data center development. Desert Hot Springs and Indio have approved temporary moratoriums, while Coachella approved a permanent ban on Wednesday.

The Palm Springs data center moratorium will remain in effect through Oct. 10.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Pearce

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — This year, the Love Fund has spent $35,244 on specialized medical procedures and surgeries at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter.

But every day, new animals come into the shelter in need of medical procedures.

With increasing veterinary costs and animals arriving at the shelter at any given moment, the fund is falling behind on what it needs to help animals in need.

Currently, the fund has $17,684. But four animals alone require upwards of $23,000 — more than what is currently available.

Dr. Phil Caldwell, medical director at Palm Springs Animal Shelter, noted that recent medical treatments have strained shelter resources.

“We’ve had several cases that are very, very expensive to treat,” Caldwell said. “Very complex medical and surgical cases. And so we’ve having to send them to specialty clinics or do them here, but they’re with specialists or surgeons and that requires a lot of money to do that.”

Jack Hagerman, associate executive director of the shelter, emphasized the critical need for financial assistance to sustain animal care.

“We look to donors to really help us to to replenish the Love Fund so that we can continue to provide this life saving treatment,” Hagerman said.

Without sufficient funding, treatment options for severely ill animals become limited.

“Euthanasia is often the only way forward if they have a chronic issue that’s affecting their quality of life,” Hagerman said.

Because shelter officials cannot predict when new animals needing medical intervention will arrive, they have set a broader fundraising target of $100,000 to prepare for future cases. Caldwell said the shelter hopes to reach the larger milestone to help handle future admissions.

To donate, visit the Palm Springs Animal Shelter’s website.

Click here to follow the original article.

Raymond Kalra

IDYLLWILD, Calif. (KESQ) – Tucked into the mountains of Idyllwild is a piece of Dolly Parton’s life that has remained largely untouched – down to the furniture, photographs, dishes and even bottles of Coca-Cola still sitting inside the refrigerators.

Following Parton’s passing, the current owners of her former mountain home say they are thinking more deeply about how to preserve – and potentially one day share the history she left behind.

Brian Vassallo and his wife purchased the property in 2025 after searching for a mountain getaway. Vassallo said they knew about the home’s connection to Parton before buying it, but that connection was especially meaningful to him because he grew up in the South listening to her music.

“Her voice filled the walls of our home from Thanksgiving to New Year’s every year,” Vassallo said. “I can’t remember a Christmas in my life that Dolly isn’t a part of.”

That history shaped the couple’s decision before they even finalized the purchase.

“The house is exactly as Dolly left it when we came into the house,” Vassallo said. “If we were going to be the stewards of this property, we were going to keep it just how she left it.”

According to Vassallo, nearly all of the furnishings inside belonged to Parton. The chairs, tables, dishes, silverware and pictures hanging on the walls remain, along with personal photographs he says were found tucked away in drawers throughout the home.

Some of those photographs show Parton on tour, performing on stage and traveling around the country. Vassallo said the couple even discovered an old Rolodex containing contacts ranging from friends in Nashville and Hollywood to her gardener and doctor.

One of the more unusual details can be found inside with the home’s refrigerators.

Vassallo said there is a refrigerator on each level of the three-story home, with two on one floor. According to the story passed down with the property, Parton wanted Coca-Cola nearby wherever she was in the house.

“And every fridge is stocked with her bottles of Coca-Cola,” Vassallo said. “And they are still there. To this day, every fridge is still stocked with the bottles of Dolly’s Coke.”

Tiffany Raridon, broker-owner of Idyllwild Properties, has been connected to the property through multiple sales. She said previous owners made necessary repairs and improvements to the exterior but largely left the inside untouched.

“Nothing has changed,” Raridon said. “Everything in it is still as Dolly left it.”

Dolly Parton’s connection to Idyllwild

While Parton is most closely associated with Tennessee, Raridon said the mountain setting of Idyllwild reminded her of home.

She said stories have long circulated in the community about Parton walking from the cabin into town and visiting local businesses rather than hiding away from residents.

“She would walk down there in her high heels,” Raridon said. “I’ve heard a lot of stories about how she was just frequently seen, and she didn’t hide away like a lot of celebrities do.”

The cabin also served as a creative space.

Raridon said Parton spent time in the home’s loft writing songs and playing music.

“She actually spent time writing up in the loft,” Raridon said. “That was her favorite place to write songs and play music.”

For Vassallo, however, owning the property has never felt like simply purchasing a celebrity’s former home.

“We don’t even refer to it as our house,” he said. “It’s Dolly’s house. It will always be Dolly’s house. We’re very fortunate to just be the stewards of that home.”

What could come next

Vassallo said he and his wife have discussed the future of the property more seriously since learning of Parton’s passing.

For now, it remains their private mountain retreat. But he believes there may eventually be a way to allow others to experience some of the history preserved inside.

“The house, it needs to be shared,” Vassallo said. “And how we do that, we don’t know. We haven’t figured that out yet.”

Whatever comes next, Vassallo said preserving the home has taken on even greater meaning.

For a man who grew up with Parton’s music filling his childhood home, he now sees himself as responsible for protecting one small piece of the legacy she left behind in the Southern California mountains.

Click here to follow the original article.

Kiera McKinney

THOUSAND PALMS, CALIF. (KESQ)- COVID-19 activity is increasing nationally as infections are growing or likely growing in 47 states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The surge aligns with federal health research identifying a recurring pattern of two distinct COVID-19 peaks each year.

Unlike influenza, which primarily surges during the winter, CDC research shows COVID-19 routinely experiences peaks in both late summer and winter. While national flu activity remains low, researchers believe COVID-19’s twice-a-year cycle is linked to how quickly the virus mutates, allowing new variants to spread outside traditional respiratory-virus seasons. As of mid-August, CDC estimates show infections are declining in zero states.

Local health systems are observing a rise in infection rates that aligns with national trends. Dr. Bradley Jacoby, Chief of Service for Pediatrics for Kaiser Permanente Riverside, noted that internal records show a recent increase in local cases. “We have been seeing more Covid. You know and I was looking at our own internal Kaiser data. And definitely we’ve seen an uptick,” Dr. Jacoby said.

He explained that COVID-19 does not follow traditional seasonal patterns. “With Covid, you know there isn’t really a seasonality to Covid. It’s it’s not a predictable once a year kind of pattern. You know, we have seen Covid spikes in summer in the past before. And unfortunately, it seems like this year like there is a spike in Covid over the summer as well,” Dr. Jacoby said.

“You may have had Covid six months or a year ago, your immunity starts to wane down or the virus mutates and now you’re at risk again of coming down with Covid,” Dr. Jacoby said. Health officials also note that summer heat forces more people indoors and students returning to school creates additional opportunities for the virus to spread.

The authorization of Xocova gives exposed individuals a new preventative option. “If they’re around somebody in their family or just in a place where, you know, they know that there was a contact with a Covid positive person, they can request this medication to help prevent them from coming down with Covid,” Dr. Jacoby said.

In addition to post-exposure treatments, health officials recommend watching for shifting symptoms during the current surge. Patients are reporting more stomach-related issues, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. To lower infection risks, doctors advise sticking with basic precautions such as washing hands, avoiding close contact with sick individuals and staying home when feeling unwell.

As COVID-19 activity increases, health officials are also preparing for the upcoming flu season. Dr. Jacoby recommended September through the end of October as the key window for individuals to receive their annual flu shot.

Click here to follow the original article.

Peter Daut

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Hollywood journalist and Coachella Valley resident Sue Cameron joined News Channel 3 live in studio to remember the legendary Dolly Parton, who died on Tuesday at the age of 80.

Cameron met Parton numerous times over the years.

“Dolly Parton was real. Dolly Parton did not have a public persona and one at home. There was Dolly, who was just Dolly, the kindest, most wonderful person I have really ever met,” Cameron said. “I used to say Carol Burnett, and forget Dolly, but I’m telling you, Dolly was a saint. I think that her song ‘I Will Always Love You’ is the American anthem for love. I think it will last as long as our national anthem. Probably one of the best songs ever written, to be honest, absolutely.

Cameron shared a story about Parton during the “9 to 5” stage musical, which premiered in 2009.

“She took the Almondson Theater in Los Angeles and invited a lot of her friends and the public to see it and get their notes afterwards. And what she did was, unfortunately, the show wasn’t quite ready, and a computer broke for all the light cues, and it was gonna be 45 minutes before we could fixed. She got up on stage with nothing, no musical instruments, nothing, and she went, and she sang for 45 minutes. She used her nails as percussion and she sang for 45 minutes because she didn’t want us to be waiting. She wanted to help us and be kind and get through it. Who does that?” Cameron recalled.

Cameron remembers Parton as a “true entertainer and also a philanthropist.”

“She gave $200 million for the next 5 years for books for schoolchildren, $12 million for a fire. Several 100,000 for floods. This foundation that she has will go on and on and on. She, to me, she was a queen and one of the most lovable icons, and she will never ever be forgotten,” Cameron said.

Check Out: Michael Childers, who captured famous Dolly Parton portraits, remembers the music icon

Click here to follow the original article.