Category: kesq-local-news

Haley Meberg

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – The City of Indio announced its 3rd Annual Veterans Day Run/Walk, set to take place in November with a new, exciting 10K race option.

The annual event sets out to honor local veterans while also supporting the Hunter Lopez Memorial Foundation and American Legion Post 739, who aid in serving the military community.

The Veterans Day tradition will take place at the Empire Polo grounds in Indio on November 11 with tickets ranging from $38 for the 5k race to $54 for the 10k race. Children under the age of 10 can participate for free and veterans will receive a $25 discount.

The ceremony will commence at 8:00 a.m. with the race taking off at 8:30 a.m. and will ultimately conclude with awards for the top three finishers in both races. “Early bird” registration is open now at Indio Veterans Day 5K & 10K Run/Walk

Stay with News Channel 3 for more updates.

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City News Service

BLYTHE, Calif. (KESQ) – A Riverside County sheriff’s deputy accused of searching a secure computer network without permission or a legitimate reason pleaded not guilty to felony charges, court records showed today.

Matthew Enrique Estrada, 53, of Blythe was arrested in May following a nearly yearlong probe by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Investigations Bureau.

Estrada is charged with two counts of unlawfully accessing privileged information via government computers.

He was arraigned Tuesday before Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Tucker, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Sept. 3 at the Blythe Courthouse.

The defendant, who did not spend any time in custody and is on paid administrative leave, remains free on a $25,000 bond.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Perez, detectives learned on June 24, 2025, of one or more instances in which Estrada allegedly accessed confidential data without prior authorization or justification.

There were no details on what he sought to obtain during the alleged activity.

Sufficient evidence was garnered over the ensuing months to submit a request for felony charges from the District Attorney’s Office, and prosecutors filed the criminal complaint on May 29.

Estrada has been employed as a deputy sheriff since June 2007. He was most recently assigned to the Colorado River Station.

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Luis Avila

UPDATE 7/2 10:48 A.M.: Meyers says Uber has reactivated his driver account following News Channel 3’s reporting on the incident.

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 72-year-old rideshare driver says he was violently attacked by a passenger.

Bill Meyers says the assault happened late last month near Villanova Drive and Amherst Drive, just off Miles Avenue and Madison Street, during an Uber pickup involving a passenger with a bicycle that would not fit inside his vehicle.

According to Meyers, the disagreement quickly turned violent.

He says the passenger punched him in the face, threw him to the ground and repeatedly slammed him against his vehicle.

“I thought to myself, this guy could kill me if he wants to,” Meyers said.

Meyers says he drove himself home before reporting the assault to police.

He later learned he had suffered a concussion, six facial fractures, a fractured eye socket, broken dentures and injuries to his arms, legs and body. He says the injuries have left him unable to work for at least a month.

Bill Meyers, 72, received multiple stitches after suffering severe facial injuries in an attack by an Uber passenger.

But Meyers says the challenges didn’t end there.

The day after the attack, he says Uber notified him that his driver account had been permanently deactivated for what the company described as a violation of its policies.

“I was only worried about recovering and what was wrong with me, with full plans on going back to work once I was able to drive, and the next day I get a thing on my Uber app that says, ‘Your app has been deactivated for violation of company policy,'” Meyers said.

Meyers says Uber never explained why his account was deactivated. He believes he was acting in self-defense during the attack.

News Channel 3 reached out to Uber for answers.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the company said:

“Violence of any kind is not tolerated on the Uber platform, and driver safety remains a top priority. As soon as this incident was reported to us, we banned the rider from the Uber platform. We have been in touch with the driver, and are standing ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation.”

Uber did not answer News Channel 3’s question about why Meyers’ driver account was deactivated.

Meyers says he plans to return to rideshare driving once he has recovered from his injuries but intends to drive for Lyft instead.

Indio Police confirmed the assault is under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Gavin Nguyen

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) – Road improvements are coming to one of the largest communities in the Desert Hot Springs area.

The Mission Lakes Area Resurfacing project will repave 25 streets totaling 5.7 miles within Mission Lakes Country Club. All of the roadways are public, county-maintained roadways. These roadways are open to the public and not gated.

Crews work along Warwick Drive and Spyglass Avenue within Mission Lakes Country Club

Residents will see work done through the middle of September, with typical work hours happening between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The goal of the improvements doesn’t stop at just repairing bumpy roads; storm drainage is also a key issue the county is looking to fix, especially as flooding from stormwater remains a key issue in our desert.

The total budget for the project is about $3.3 million, and is funded with the county’s gas tax and SB 1 transportation funds and Mission Springs Water District funds for the work involving the district’s utilities.

We spoke with local residents about the fixes, who said the upgrades were a long time coming.

Eric Pontius, who lives in the community, said, “It’s long overdue for some road work in here. I mean, it is public since we don’t have a gate here. It’s not private. So yeah, it is their responsibility to fix it.”

And when referencing some of the drainage issues in the community, he pointed towards the spots that lie lower than others.

“It is lower, especially down here at the bottom. They do have some flooding issues.”

More Mission Lakes streets east of the current project have been identified for a Mission Lakes Phase 2 resurfacing project in future years.

We tried to reach out to Aaron Cortez, the Project Manager. He declined our repeated requests for comment. We also tried to speak with Eric Charos, the General Manager of the Mission Lakes Country Club. He was away and could not provide an interview on Wednesday.

He wrote in a news release about the project:

“This is very significant in our community’s over 50-year history that the roads are being totally re-done up here. Mission Lakes Country Club was developed with public roads and so we appreciate the attention by the County Transportation Department and by Supervisor Perez to take care of them. The coordination with our community has been outstanding. This will be a big improvement for our residents, and all who visit to golf, enjoy our restaurants and amenities with some of the best views in the valley!”

Eric Charos, Mission Lakes Country Club

Supervisor V. Manuel Perez also commented on the project:

“This project will fix up a substantial number of streets in this unincorporated community, Mission Lakes Country Club. This roadwork is a significant improvement that will be long lasting after it’s completed.”

Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez

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Tommy Gallegos

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (KESQ) – The WTA has announced that the 2026 WTA Finals will be held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden from November 8–15, bringing the season-ending championship to one of tennis’ most iconic venues.

The WTA Finals features the world’s top eight singles players and doubles teams, who qualify through the PIF Race to the WTA Finals after competing across the WTA Tour season, including the four Grand Slams.

“The Indian Wells Tennis Garden provides an exceptional stage for the WTA Finals,” said WTA Chair Valerie Camillo. “We are excited to bring the WTA Finals to Southern California and continue building one of the premier championships in global sport.”

This year’s WTA Finals is moving from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to Indian Wells.

Riyadh drew criticism when it was announced as the host city in 2024 due to Saudi Arabia’s record on human rights. This year’s event was slated to be the third and final year for the event in the Middle Eastern country.

Saudi Arabia’s growing role in sports has drawn criticism from human rights organizations, which argue the country uses high-profile sporting events to improve its international image while continuing to face scrutiny over its human rights record.

Home to the BNP Paribas Open, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is widely recognized for its world-class facilities and fan experience. Indian Wells Tennis Garden Chief Marketing Officer Philippe Dore said hosting the WTA Finals is “a tremendous opportunity to celebrate women’s tennis” and showcase the sport’s top players.

Tickets are currently available through a pre-sale for select groups, with general public sales beginning Thursday, July 2.

The 2026 event aims to build on the WTA Finals’ growing momentum while further elevating women’s tennis on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

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Matthew Pearce

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) — FIFA World Cup fever is at an all-time high in the United States, with attendance records being broken at the start of the knockout stage, according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

However, given North America’s cultural diversity, many fans are left choosing between where they live and where they came from.

With teams being eliminated, residents and fans gave me unique reasons for why they are supporting certain countries.

Netherlands native Rudy Verwey was bummed after the loss to Morocco in the round of 32. Still, he keeps watching and supporting other teams he has relation to.

“Well yesterday we lost to Morocco. So now of course I root for the Mexican team because I have many Mexican friends and they party… correct,” Verway said. “But yeah America is definitely my second favorite.”

With the United States taking on Bosnia and Herzegovina this evening, News Channel 3 asked fans which flag they’d wave if their native country squared off against the place they now call home.

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Athena Jreij

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – California drivers will see slightly higher prices at the pump starting July 1, thanks to a statewide gas tax increase of 2.2 cents per gallon.

The annual increase will bring the state’s gas tax to 63.4 cents, the highest in the nation.

It comes as drivers hit the road for the Fourth of July and already face high prices due to fuel shortages from the Iran War and Strait of Hormuz closures.

AAA data shows California already leads the national average of $3.84/gallon for gas prices, at $5.41.

For Coachella Valley drivers and those passing through, they’ve been budgeting for the uncertainty.

“We’ve already put over $200 in gas from Sacramento to here, and we’re not even in Phoenix yet. I just know that it’s a lot of money for people like us, retired people. Social security can’t keep up with these gas prices,” said Graciela Gil, a driver from Sacramento on a road trip.

Ashley Brittain, a tourist from China, says she’s already budgeted for a monthlong road trip she’s taking from Mexico to Canada.

“I’ve budgeted over a thousand, like $1,000 to $1,500,” Brittain said.

The tax pays for infrastructure and road maintenance, but some have called to abolish it in favor of more competitive pricing.

Despite those higher prices, AAA says they’re the lowest in weeks.

“In the past six weeks, gas prices have been dropping. We’re going to be paying a lot less, between $0.60 to $0.80 less than Memorial Day,” Anlleyn Venegas said.

Venegas also says the sticker shock won’t keep travelers off the road this holiday weekend.

“Even with higher gas prices, they’re cutting costs by either staying with friends with family, choosing more affordable hotels, or spending less on dining out,” she said.

For more information on gas prices across the Coachella Valley, visit KESQ’s Gas Gauge at https://kesq.com/gas-gauge/.

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Kiera Seapy

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — Firefighters responded to a residential fire in Desert Hot Springs June 27th that damaged two homes.

According to Riverside County Fire Department, officers received a 911 call at about 4:15 p.m. reporting multiple homes on fire in the 13000 block of West Street.

When crews arrived, they encountered high winds, which officials say contributed to the fire spreading to a second home. The second structure sustained light damage to its roof.

Battalion Chief Ryan Kirby from the Riverside Fire Department said the fire spread due to the wind being strong.

Firefighters contained the fire at 5:22 p.m. and the American Red Cross was requested to assist two adults and two children who have been displaced.

No injuries were reported.

Sanitra Green, the homeowner said she did not know the fire was going on while they were in the house.

“Bystanders were driving by and seeing the fire and then they started beating on the door for us to come out, we were in the house and we weren’t even aware that the fire had started outside,” Green said.

“This has been our home for the past seven, almost eight years, so for us to have to uproot and start all over from nothing, that’s the biggest challenge” Green said.

“I miss my toys because I don’t have no toys,” Jassani, her 7 year old daughter said. She also said her family is praying for a new house and new car.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family. Click here if you would like to contribute.

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Julia Castro

Update 07/01 7:20 A.M.

Southern California Edison officials say all lanes at the intersection of North Gene Autry Trail and East Vista Chino will be closed until 8 P.M. following an early morning crash in Palm Springs.

Around 2:15 Wednesday morning, Palm Springs Police Department officers responded to a traffic collision at North Gene Autry Trail and East Vista Chino.

When officers arrived, they found that a vehicle had collided with a power pole, causing the pole to shear off and multiple high-voltage power lines to fall into the roadway.

The driver was contacted at the scene and detained.

During the investigation, the driver displayed objective signs of alcohol impairment. A DUI investigation was conducted, and the driver was subsequently arrested.

Due to the severity of the collision and the hazards created by the downed power lines, Southern California Edison responded to the scene to address the damaged power pole and electrical lines.

Edison advised that repairs would take several hours before power could be restored to the affected area.

Once the roadway is reopened, the Palm Springs Police Department will update the community via Everbridge. Law enforcement reminds the public to avoid the area while crews continue repairs, and roadway closures remain in place.

Anyone with additional information regarding this collision is encouraged to contact the Palm Springs Police Department at 760-327-1441.

Original report 07/01 5 A.M.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — All lanes at the intersection of Gene Autry Trail and Vista Chino are closed Wednesday morning following an early morning traffic collision, Palm Springs police said.

Police sent out an alert about the crash just before 3 a.m. and warned of downed power lines in the area.

Traffic is being diverted from Vista Chino through Executive Drive to Via Escuela.

Utility crews are on scene working to repair the power lines. Southern California Edison is also reporting a power outage in the area, affecting about 240 customers. News Channel 3 crews also witnessed a nearby transformer explode Wednesday morning.

Police have not said when the roadway will reopen or whether anyone was hurt in the crash.

News Channel 3 has reached out for more information.

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City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 53-year-old soccer coach who groped and made repeated sexual advances toward a Coachella Valley girl was sentenced today to two years’ mandatory supervision.

Rosario Navarro Gonzalez of Menifee pleaded guilty in February to two felony counts of lewd acts on a minor. The plea was directly to Riverside County Superior Court Judge Michael Dest — over the objections of the District Attorney’s Office.

“Our offer and request to the court was that the defendant be sentenced to state prison,” agency spokeswoman Molly Smith told City News Service Tuesday.

During a hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, the judge sentenced Gonzalez to mandatory supervision — a form of probation — in lieu of jail, as well as directed him to serve nine months in a sheriff’s work release program, during which he’ll have to remain gainfully employed, and to register as a convicted sex offender under Penal Code section 290, barring him from contact with minors, except relatives.

According to sheriff’s investigators, the defendant coached girls’ soccer in the Palm Desert area and initiated communication with the victim in the summer of 2021, via social media when she was 13 years old.

Through a series of texts and chats, he convinced the girl to send him nude pictures of herself, which she did in exchange for gift cards and money, according to a sheriff’s arrest warrant affidavit filed in September 2022.

The communications continued with regularity, leading to at least one in-person rendezvous at a church parking lot in Desert Hot Springs during the autumn of 2021. The warrant declaration stated Gonzalez coaxed the youth into his vehicle, where he kissed and embraced her as she sat on his lap, pressing one of her hands to his crotch before she wriggled out of his grasp.

In February 2022, the defendant tracked the girl down while she shopped with a friend in a Temecula mall. He gave her a $200 gift card as a birthday present and kissed her before she moved away from him, investigators said.

The girl deleted many of the messages exchanged with Gonzalez, possibly to conceal their interactions, according to court papers.

After taking statements from the victim and the defendant, detectives ultimately determined there was sufficient evidence to arrest him, which occurred on Sept. 22, 2022.

He had no documented prior felony convictions.

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