Category: kesq-local-news

City News Service

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – Pretrial motions got underway today ahead of jury selection for the trial of one-time Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet and a real estate developer, stemming from an alleged scheme to buy off the mayor to ensure his support for the businessman’s projects.

Pougnet, 62, and John Elroy Wessman, 86, were criminally charged, for the first time, in 2017. They were indicted by a Riverside County grand jury two years later, along with Coachella Valley real estate developer Richard Hugh Meaney, 59.

All the felony charges against Meaney were later dismissed. However, he pleaded guilty to a reinstated misdemeanor count of financial conflict in a government contract. Meaney is free on bond and is slated for sentencing in June.

Richard Meaney

On Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Samuel Diaz ruled on motions from the prosecution and defense, one of which concerned the process of seating a jury. Both sides agreed to craft their own preferred questionnaires for prospective jurors to complete, which Diaz was slated to review by the end ofthe week. The approved questions will then be given to the prospects for them to answer.  

A pool of 400 prospective jurors is being requested. However, many of those are likely to be eliminated during hardship interviews conducted by a court commissioner, ahead of formal jury selection. When the pool has been narrowed, the final screening process will begin, which is tentatively set for Thursday, May 15.   

Opening statements will likely occur before the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Testimony is expected to conclude by June 20, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Pougnet and Wessman are each free on bond.

The case, which began as a federal corruption probe until it was turned over to county investigators in 2016, has been plagued by repeated delays, some resulting from ongoing challenges by the defense to the indictment, as well as the COVID lockdowns, Pougnet’s relocation to another state, changes to legal counsel and related complications.   

A trial judge in December 2020 dismissed all counts against Wessman, characterizing them as baseless, but the charges were reinstated by the Fourth District Court of Appeals in Riverside less than two years later. The defendant is charged with nine counts of bribery of a public official and one count of conspiracy to commit a felony.   

Check Out Our ‘Scandal at City Hall’ Section for More Coverage on this Case

Pougnet is charged with eight counts each of accepting bribes and illicit financial interest in public contracts, along with three counts of perjury and one count of conspiracy. He served two terms as mayor, leaving office in 2015.

The influence-buying scheme that prosecutors allege the men were involved in netted Pougnet close to $400,000 between 2012 and 2014, securing his public support for projects brought before the Palm Springs City Council, specifically The Dakota, the Desert Fashion Plaza, The Morrison and Vivante.

Payments to Pougnet were allegedly drawn directly from accounts maintained by Meaney’s Union Abbey Co. and Wessman Development Inc., according to the prosecution.

Prosecutors told the grand jury in 2019 Pougnet planned to move to Colorado to join his husband and two children when his first term ended in 2011, but the two developers allegedly put him “on their payroll” in order to gain his votes of confidence in their projects.

“This is a case about political corruption in Palm Springs,” Deputy District Attorney Amy Barajas told the grand jury, according to transcripts later released to the public. “What kind of corruption? Well, one of the oldest stories in the book. Some wealthy real estate developers get a politician on their payroll, and in exchange they get favorable treatment, inside access and large contracts.”  

She said that Pougnet was hesitant about remaining for a second term as mayor. The grand jury was shown an email exchange from May 30, 2011, between him and Meaney, in which the latter wrote, “Everything is in place. The big question from everyone is … what are your plans?”

Pougnet’s response appeared to indicate their relationship hinged on the defendant securing something in return.   

“I need to know that an offer is very real, that I am an employee somewhere that has a letter `of employment,”’ Pougnet wrote. “That will make a decision much easier. As you know, a month ago, this was not even an option on the table with me and Christopher. Staying (in Palm Springs) has huge family implications considering I would be going back and forth.”  

The then-mayor allegedly accepted $225,000 as an initial incentive to remain active in local government. 

If convicted, Pougnet could face up to 19 years in state prison, while Wessman could face 12 years, under sentencing guidelines. However, given that neither man has prior felony convictions, each may qualify for lower-level penalties, including suspended jail terms and probation.

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Kendall Flynn

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Police Department is continuing to crack down on speeding in the Valley, especially after multiple rollover collisions near downtown.

Monday night, on Baristo Road and Sunrise Way, a car collided with the rear-end of another vehicle, sending it airborne before landing on its back.

While PSPD reported the driver was speeding, but PIO Lt. Mike Villegas said rollovers on this type of road are not common. He said busier highways or roads where there is less traffic, allowing higher speeds, like Highway 111, Palm Canyon Drive or Gene Autry Trail tend to see rollover collisions.

Last summer PSPD conducted “Operation Rearview Mirror” to focus on deterring speeding, and Villegas said it was successful. But now, as they see the issue persist, he said it’s something they’re still working to improve, especially as they see more people in the Valley.

“Last week we did an operation on Wednesday. It was a traffic enforcement operation to reduce speeding again because we have identified that speeding is a big problem,” Villegas said. “People coming in and leaving our city for various reasons. Either touring our city or attending events and so forth.”

Wednesday’s efforts gave out over 200 citations, but Villegas said collisions are seasonal in the Valley because they are a mix of local and tourist traffic.

He said the more people visiting, the higher likelihood somebody will not drive safe. This requires drivers to be more cognizant, defensive and aware of the stakes.

“Drive safe. Because when you crash and if you kill somebody, you’re not just taking that person’s life, but it causes it has a ripple effect that you take many people’s lives,” Villegas said. “And that’s a constant theme, not just in Palm Springs, but throughout the Valley and in our county.” 

PSPD said DUI’s, speeding and failing to yield at left turns are the three primary factors in collisions in the Valley, leading officials to start safety campaigns.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more information.

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Shay Lawson

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)  – Riverside County supervisors approved the proposed Coachella Valley Power Agency-Joint Powers Authority, or CVPA-JPA, on Tuesday.

The CVPA-JPA establishes a new governing authority comprised of the county and multiple cities within the Coachella Valley, with the goal of eventually reducing power bills for residents.

Supervisor V. Manuel Perez released a press release on Tuesday stating:

“Along with the County of Riverside, the City of La Quinta has joined the JPA, and the Indio City Council will be considering joining the JPA at its meeting tomorrow. The JPA provides the ability for additional members, including Tribal nations and more cities, to join.”

Indio Councilmember Waymond Fermon said Indio currently has a long-term agreement with IID, the Indio Electric Finance Authority (IEFA).

“In 2023 the city of Indio took the initiative to work with IID to form our own Joint Power Authority in respect to addressing some of the concerns that we had in the city of Indio with power, infrastructure needs, reliability, redundancy and of course growth,” Fermon said.

He also said joining the CVPA-JPA will enhance the city’s power.

“It will still keep our rates low,” Fermon said. “That’s something that’s very important to our council. It’s very important to the other cities that we continue to have affordable rates.”

Indio’s vote on Wednesday could officially launch the CVPA-JPA.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the latest on whether it moves forward.

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City News Service

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) – Five people were facing federal charges today in connection with an alleged maritime human-smuggling event that killed three people — including a teenage boy — off the coast of northern San Diego County and left a 10-year-old girl missing and presumed dead.

Emergency crews responding to the mass-casualty boating accident at about 7 a.m. Monday found the bodies of 18-year-old Marcos Lozada-Juarez, Gorgonio Placido-Diaz, 55, and Prince Patel, 14, on the Del Mar shoreline, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office and a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court.   

Lozada-Juarez and Gorgonio Placido-Diaz were Mexican nationals, and Prince was from India and traveling with his parents and younger sister, the court document states. All three drowned, the medical examiner reported.   

Eight migrants initially missing following the accident were eventually located, but the deceased teen’s sibling remains unaccounted for and is believed to have died in the accident.

Paramedics took four of the survivors to medical centers for treatment of injuries ranging in severity from minor to critical, according to the Encinitas Fire Department, which responded to the emergency along with its counterparts from Del Mar and Solana Beach. Later in the morning, two other people who identified themselves as having been in the traveling party were located and taken to a hospital for evaluations.   

At about 10:45 p.m. Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its daylong search of hundreds of square miles of ocean and shoreline for any still-missing victims of the accident.

Prosecutors say two of the five people who allegedly took part in facilitating the smuggling event were arrested on the beach near the scene of the rescue operation.

Jesus Ivan Rodriguez-Leyva, 36, and Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna, 30, both of Mexico, admitted piloting the vessel and smuggling 15 people into the United States, according to a probable-cause statement attached to a complaint filed in San Diego federal court.

The other three defendants, Melissa Jennelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregoso, 31, all of Mexico, were arrested Monday night in Chula Vista, officials said.

A separate complaint states that an SUV was spotted near the accident scene in Del Mar and traveling off, possibly after the driver picked up some of the survivors of the capsizing. The vehicle was found Monday parked off Flower Street in Chula Vista.

Two other vehicles nearby were stopped by Border Patrol agents, leading to the arrests of the three defendants, as well as the detention of the remaining undocumented migrants.

One migrant told investigators he planned to pay $10,000 to be smuggled into the United States, while another said he agreed to pay $13,000, according to one of the court documents in the case.

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Garrett Hottle

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) Every day, nurses carry the weight of life-saving care. They do it quietly, without fanfare.

This week, as the country marks National Nurses Week, one local nurse is being recognized for her dedication to patients who rely on critical treatments to survive.

Vanessa Handwerk is the registered nursing manager over outpatient infusion centers for Desert Oasis Healthcare. She oversees four centers across the Coachella Valley, including locations in Yucca Valley, Palm Springs, and Palm Desert.

“My name is Vanessa Handwerk, and I am the R.N. nursing manager over our outpatient infusion centers,” she said.

Inside those centers, patients come for treatments they didn’t ask for—but can’t live without.

“The short answer is we do everything outside of chemo,” Handerk explained. “We do blood transfusions, injections, biologic medication, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, osteoporosis, cancer treatments that are not chemo. We take care of all of those patients.”

For some patients, those treatments buy time. For others, they buy hope.

“Many of these treatments… without them, patients’ blood counts will just continue to go down and down… until their body cannot sustain life any longer,” she said.

Handwerk has worked in healthcare for 18 years, starting as a medical assistant, earning her LVN, and then her RN. Through it all, she says she’s held onto one guiding principle.

“You just treat people how you want you or your loved ones to be treated,” she said. “Even if I am overworked that day… it’s fine. Tomorrow’s a new day.”

For the full story, or to nominate someone you think should be a Neighborhood Hero, visit KESQ.com.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Applications are now open for a new affordable housing development for seniors in Palm Springs.

The highly anticipated Aloe Palm Canyon, located at 1479 N. Palm Canyon Drive, will offer 70 “thoughtfully designed” one-bedroom apartments for adults aged 55 and older with incomes ranging from 0% to 80% Area Median Income (AMI). The development includes 25 units specifically reserved for seniors who have previously experienced homelessness.

Of the 71 total units, 69 will have restricted rents to ensure long-term affordability.

Other amenities include:

A welcoming community room with a demonstration kitchen

A computer room/library for learning and leisure

A fully equipped fitness center

Laundry facilities, open off-street parking, and an on-site property manager’soffice

A beautiful outdoor gathering space designed for relaxation and socialization

Aloe Palm Canyon is scheduled to be completed in September 2025. The deadline to apply is May 18. Click here to apply.

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Jesus Reyes

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) – A San Diego-based U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer is facing federal charges for allegedly allowing vehicles containing undocumented migrants across the U.S.-Mexico Border, joining two other local CBP officers charged earlier this month.

A grand jury indictment alleges the officers allowed certain vehicles through while they manned inspection booths at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The defendants allegedly informed co-conspirators when they would be scheduled to work and what lanes they were assigned to in order to facilitate the illegal entries, according to prosecutors.

They also allegedly made false entries into the CBP database by misreporting the number of occupants in a given vehicle in order to hide that the vehicles contained undocumented immigrants, according to the indictment.   

Prosecutors said it happened on numerous occasions involving “dozens of cars” between August of last year until January.   

Two of the officers charged earlier this year — Farlis Almonte, 38, of San Diego, and Ricardo Rodriguez, 34, of Tijuana — allegedly accepted bribes to let the cars through. The latest indictment also charges Kairy Stephania Quinonez, 31, of Imperial Beach, though she is not facing charges related to bribery.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A newborn dropped next to a dumpster outside a Riverside apartment complex was in stable condition today, as authorities initiated a search for his mother, encouraging her or anyone who may know her to come forward.

The infant was discovered at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the 3800 block of Jackson Street, near Magnolia Avenue, less than a block from Sherman Indian High School, according to the Riverside Police Department.   

Officer Ryan Railsback said passers-by found the hours-old baby inside a refuse bin enclosure adjacent to the apartment building.   

“The baby boy was lying next to the dumpster, breathing, crying and with the umbilical cord still attached,” Railsback said. “Paramedics provided immediate care and transported him across the street to a hospital, where he is currently in good health and stable condition.”

Detectives determined the infant was abandoned immediately after the mother delivered him.  

“So far, they have not been able to identify the baby’s mother, or the person who may have placed him near the dumpster,” the police spokesman said. “Our primary concern is locating the mother to ensure her own health and safety and getting her any medical care or support she may need.”  

The police department is requesting that anyone with information reach out, including witnesses who may have noticed a girl or woman showing obvious signs of pregnancy previously, but no longer, without explanation.   

Detective Jessica Iniguez is handling the investigation and can be reached at 951-353-7121.  

Railsback said the department wishes to remind the public of the California Surrendered Baby Law, which permits parents or guardians who do not wish to be responsible for an infant within 72 hours of the child’s birth to safely and legally drop their newborn at any hospital or fire station with no questions asked.

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Jesus Reyes

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – Two adults were transported to the hospital after being exposed to what was originally believed to be fentanyl, but later determined not to be, at Desert Mirage High School, authorities said.

The incident was reported just after 1 p.m.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office was called to assist CAL FIRE, who reported being on scene with three adults and one juvenile who believed they had been exposed to fentanyl, a spokesperson for the agency told News Channel 3.

CVUSD Superintendent Dr. Frances Esparza told News Channel 3 that a student brought pills and a vape to school. Two staff members touched the pills and had an adverse reaction. The two adults are doing fine at the hospital.

Esparza said that a CAL FIRE hazmat unit confirmed the pills were not fentanyl, which RSO later also confirmed. The pills are being sent to a lab and results should be sent to the district in about two or three weeks.

“Deputies are still investigating, but a presumptive test showed a negative result for fentanyl,” RSO wrote in an email to News Channel 3.

CAL FIRE originally noted that they transported three minors with minor injuries as a precaution, however, officials confirmed no minors were hospitalized.

“We took all safety precautions and all students are safe,” Esparza said.

Deputies are currently investigating the substance involved.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside County supervisors today approved a compact to establish a new governing authority comprised of the county and multiple cities within the Coachella Valley that will be responsible for developing plans to ensure desert communities secure affordable electricity in the future.

“This is years in the making,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Manuel Perez said. “It’s going to cost $1.5 billion to build up and improve the generation and transmission (capacity), improve the power grid to provide electricity in the eastern Coachella Valley. Our goal is to keep costs as low as possible.”  

The board’s 5-0 vote Tuesday to join the proposed Coachella Valley Power Agency-Joint Powers Authority, or CVPA-JPA, lays the groundwork for eventually setting up an independent entity for acquiring, or possibly generating, electricity to sustain wide swaths of the valley. For now, however, the CVPA-JPA is proposed to function as a coordinate branch of the Imperial Irrigation District, which has been supplying the power needs of a large segment of eastern Riverside County for almost a century.

“Growth is occurring in the Coachella Valley at a tremendous pace, and frankly, the power needs have not kept up with that,” Coachella Valley Association of Governments Executive Director Tom Kirk told the board. “Something has to change. We’ve been wrestling with this issue for a number of years. We’re concerned that IID’s power system is not keeping up with demand, and we’re concerned that (county residents) are not receiving representation. This JPA would not replace IID, but would work with it to address issues specific to the Coachella Valley.”

CVAG took the lead in initiating the JPA concept, and its staff are slated to be at the forefront of fulfilling the new governing body’s administrative needs.

The JPA would supplant the Coachella Valley Energy Commission, which IID formed in 2021 in response to complaints from the agency’s Riverside County energy recipients about not having direct input on the IID Board of Directors. The CVED has only offered advice; the new JPA would be positioned to vote on plans for projects, as well as pass resolutions advocating new ones.   

Under the California Government Code, to found a JPA, at least three voting members are needed. The La Quinta City Council formally approved adding a representative last month, and with the county’s support Tuesday, only one other prospective member is needed to enact the JPA. That’s expected to happen Wednesday, when the Indio City Council will take up the proposal.   

Going forward, multiple entities will be eligible to join, including four Native American tribes, four municipalities and the Coachella Valley Water District.

Only one person spoke in opposition to the JPA — Rancho Mirage resident Brad Anderson. He told the board there were “other avenues that should be investigated” before creating another governing entity that will come with costs.

The JPA agreement acknowledged that operations, including the use of CVAG personnel, will require funding, which may be obtained via new fees, assessments on cities that are voting members, or possibly electrical surcharges. None of those costs had been determined yet.

Moreno Valley resident Roy Bleckert suggested the obvious electricity cost-saver may be a new nuclear power plant.   

“There won’t have to be subsidies,” he told the board. “California has the highest cost of electricity in the country, and it’s going higher. You should be enacting policies that would actually be effective.”

Perez, whose Fourth District encompasses the entire Coachella Valley, said it was worth considering.   

Once the JPA is formed, affected residents will be notified of the governing body’s meetings and how to contact their representatives about any issues of concern.

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