Category: kesq-local-news

Cynthia White

IMPERIAL, Calif. (KESQ) – For those Imperial Irrigation District customers who are worried they may soon be in the dark, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) may offer help through the CARE Program.

IID is letting its income-qualified customers with overdue bills know that they may be able to get assistance through the CARE Program once they have signed up for IID’s “Residential Energy Assistance Designed for You” (READY) plan. The READY plan provides a discount to qualified customers.

IID says that if a qualified customer has received a final notice and needs financial help to keep the power on, assistance from CARE is up to $125 per quarter, or even up to $450 for the third quarter (July, August, and September).

For more information on the READY plan, visit iid.com/customer-service/payment-assistance. IID provides a link to the “IID Residential Energy Assistance Designed for You Flyer.”

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Cynthia White

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report is out, and Riverside County comes in second as the state’s most ozone-polluted place to live.

Los Angeles, Tulare and Kern Counties follow Riverside, and San Bernardino County rates the number one county with the highest ozone pollution in California.

The American Lung Association’s report also show these five counties in the state are the most polluted in both short-term and year-round particle pollution.

The report states that climate change has had an impact on air quality, and there is an urgency to reduce the sources of emissions that contribute to ozone and particle pollution. 

For more information on the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report for our state, visit lung.org/research/sota/city-rankings/states/california.

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Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation will be hosting a community presentation looking at the theatre’s history and the progress of its restoration. The free event will be at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 27, at the Palm Springs Convention Center at 277 North Avenida Caballeros.

Valley icon and celebrity photographer Michael Childers will also be honored for his recent donation to the theatre, which is scheduled to open in December with actress Lily Tomlin as the inaugural show.

The cost of remodeling is expected to be nearly $3,000,000 higher than initially predicted, which the City of Palm Springs will pay for. The project had an original cost of $34,000,000. The Foundation is still working to raise additional funds for the theatre, as it will need to pay back the city $10,000,000 in construction costs.

News Channel 3’s Peter Daut spoke with Michael Childers and Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation President J.R. Roberts on Wednesday.

For more information on the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre, visit savetheplazatheatreps.com.

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Shay Lawson

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ)  – Months after a string of fights at James Workman Middle School raised concerns about student safety, a parent is speaking out again, saying not much has changed.

Crystal Garcia, whose daughter previously attended the school, said she ultimately transferred her child after she was repeatedly bullied and attacked.

She said the school administration failed to respond adequately and that the situation on campus has worsened.

Garcia also provided a video of a recent altercation she said occurred on campus.

In response, Palm Springs Unified School District Dr. Deanna Keuilian, Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction said:

“At Palm Springs Unified School District, the safety and security of our students and staff remain our top priority. We are committed to creating and maintaining a safe learning environment across all campuses, including James Workman Middle School.

The incident reported earlier in the school year was addressed immediately, and appropriate resolutions were implemented in accordance with Ed Code and our District policies. Since that time, we have continued to take proactive and strategic steps to enhance campus safety. Our central office works closely with all of our school sites to ensure the strategic use of resources, including a focus on increased visibility, thoughtful placement of security agents, and use of support staff. In addition to these efforts, we value ongoing communication with families and will continue to offer parent forums as opportunities for open dialogue and shared solutions around school safety.

As part of our proactive approach, we also encourage students, staff, and families to utilize SPRIGEO, our anonymous reporting tool, to share concerns at any time. Early reporting helps us address issues before they escalate and reinforces our collective responsibility for campus safety. We encourage any family with concerns to reach out directly to the school administration in an effort to partner together on solutions.

We remain committed to supporting our students, staff, and families and will continue to monitor and adjust our practices to ensure every student feels safe and supported at school.

We are aware of the recent altercation and are currently conducting a thorough review of the incident. Once all facts are gathered, we will implement appropriate consequences in alignment with district policies. In addition, we are evaluating what measures can be put in place to help prevent similar incidents in the future and ensure a safe environment for all students and staff.”

A PSUSD spokesperson confirmed former principal Dr. Vikki Chavez is currently on leave.

When asked why, they said, “We cannot comment on any personnel or student matters due to confidentiality laws.”

News Channel 3 first reported on safety concerns at James Workman in September 2024 after several on-campus fights sparked concern among parents and staff.

To hear Garcia’s full story, stay with News Channel 3 at 10 and 11 p.m.

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City News Service

INDIO (CNS) – A 32-year-old man accused of gunning down his one-time girlfriend’s lover as he left her Coachella Valley home was inflamed with rage and intended to shoot to kill, prosecutors said today, while the defense argued that the defendant was blinded by passion and also believed the victim was going to pull a gun on him.   

“There’s no excuse for this,” Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Kevin Roeder told jurors in his closing statement in the trial of Jose Ernesto Martinez of Desert Hot Springs.

Testimony in Martinez’s roughly four-day trial concluded Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, at which time the prosecution and defense rested. Superior Court Judge James Hawkins directed the two sides to deliver closing arguments Wednesday morning.

Martinez is charged with first-degree murder and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations for the slaying of 27-year-old Isaac Valles of Rancho Mirage.

The prosecution recounted how Martinez was incensed that his girlfriend, identified only as Dayanira, was seeing another man and staked out her residence in the 31800 block of Neuma Drive, near Ramon Road in Cathedral City, between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. on June 26, 2021, to see who was coming and going.  

There had been a text exchange between the woman and defendant, in which he apparently admitted being close by, prompting her to message him, “(Expletive) leave. (Expletive) you go home,” Roeder said.

Martinez remained in his car, waiting, and shortly before 3 a.m., hespotted Valles exiting the house, according to the prosecution.   

Roeder said the defendant grabbed a self-assembled semiautomatic “ghost gun” from under the driver’s seat of his car, jumped out and opened fire on the victim, who was struck twice in the head, as well as once in the neck and chest.

Valles collapsed in the roadway, dying moments later.

Dayanira witnessed the attack and screamed at Martinez, “You’re not leaving; you just killed him!” according to the prosecution.   

The defendant replied, “I’m sorry. Don’t call the police,” Roeder recalled.

However, witnesses called 911, and the defendant fled.   

“He was emotionally compromised,” Deputy Public Defender Fernanda Oviedo told the jury in her closing. She characterized him as full of anger and pain over Dayanira’s behavior, alleging the woman was not only spending time with the victim, but also cheating with another man, whose identity wasn’t disclosed.   

Martinez did not want to give her up, the attorney said.   

She said the combination of his emotional strain, and the fact that he could not see well on the night of the shooting, led to a fatal outcome.   

“It was dark. He didn’t have his glasses on and believed Valles had a gun,” Oviedo said, referring to statements by the defendant that he had seen the victim reaching into his waistband. “It was a rapid series of events.”

Roeder countered that Valles was simply trying to pull up his shorts. The victim wasn’t armed.  

Oviedo nonetheless asserted that the most her client should be convicted of is voluntary manslaughter in the heat of passion.   

Cathedral City Police Department officers took the defendant into custody without incident at his home two hours after the shooting, based on Dayanira’s and other witnesses’ statements, as well as evidence collected at the scene.

He’s being held on $1 million bail at the Benoit Detention Center in Indio. He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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