Category: kesq-local-news

Shay Lawson

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)  – Jeff Sperbeck, longtime agent for NFL legend John Elway, was pronounced dead on Tuesday according to the coroner’s office.

Now, News Channel 3’s Shay Lawson is looking into just how safe these vehicles are—and what rules are in place to prevent future tragedies.

According to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study, approximately 15,000 people are injured each year in golf cart-related accidents.

Officer Jesse Yuhas with the Indio Police Department Traffic Division said the number of golf carts on public streets has increased this festival season during Coachella and Stagecoach, and with that comes added risk.

“People often underestimate them—they lack the crash protection of a regular car and can be unstable on uneven ground or sharp turns,” Yuhas said. “Plus, they’re quieter and smaller, making them harder for other drivers to see.”

In 2011, Indio adopted a Golf Cart Transportation Program, allowing permitted carts that meet safety requirements to travel on designated pathways and bike lanes.

According to Yuhas, these carts must meet specific safety and operational standards to be considered street legal.

“It must pass safety inspection and have a current permit. Equipment includes seat belts, headlights, brake lights, rear lights, turn signals, red reflectors, horn, parking brake, back-up buzzer, mirrors, a covered passenger area and a locking device,” Yuhas said.

Golf carts in Indio are regulated under both state law and the city’s transportation plan.

“We see a good level of compliance in designated areas, especially from residents familiar with the regulations,” Yuhas said. “However, occasional violations still occur—like driving after dark or using undesignated roads.”

Yuhas is reminding residents and festivalgoers alike: golf carts may be convenient—but they’re still vehicles, and they must be treated with care.

Viewers can find other cities’ golf cart rules online.

In La Quinta, drivers must have a valid California license—or one that meets state requirements.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from a driver who made safety a top priority and for the full ride along with Indio PD.

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Jesus Reyes

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – A Cathedral City man was arrested after being accused of tossing a trash bag with five kittens, who were later found dead in someone’s backyard.

The crime was first reported Tuesday after 2:00 p.m. on the 32300 block of Aurora Vista Road.

A resident called police and said they found a bag containing five dead kittens in their backyard, the Cathedral City Police Department announced Wednesday.

During the investigation, CCPD officers found surveillance video which showed a suspect tossing a trash bag the reporting party’s fence on Friday, April 25 at about 10:30 a.m.

“The trash bag that was tossed over the fence contained five kittens which were later found deceased inside the bag. Officers were able to locate the suspect from the video,” reads a CCPD news release.

The suspect, identified as a 54-year-old from Cathedral City, was interviewed and admitted to the crime, police said.

He was arrested and booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio, where he faces animal cruelty charges. Jail records show he was released on $10,000 bail on Wednesday.

Cathedral City Police remind residents that if a stray animal is located it can be reported to Cathedral City Police by calling their nonemergency phone line at (760)770-0300. If you have any information reference this incident, contact Cathedral City Police Officer Chris Jones at (760)770-0303, or cjones@cathedralcity.gov.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.

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City News Service

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – The defense rested today, setting the stage for closing arguments, in the trial of an 82-year-old man accused of fatally bludgeoning a senior who had invited him to stay at her and her husband’s Palm Springs home.

Stephen Roy McKernan allegedly killed 75-year-old Claire Carsman in 2019.   

McKernan is charged with first-degree murder and sentence-enhancing allegations of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony, inflicting great bodily injury and being in possession of a firearm during a felony.

The prosecution rested Tuesday in the two-week trial, and McKernan’s attorney was summoning witnesses Wednesday morning at the Banning Justice Center. It was unknown whether the defense would rest by Thursday, or whether the prosecution intended to present rebuttal testimony prior to closing statements.   

McKernan is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility.   

According to testimony from his 2020 preliminary hearing, he had known Carsman and her husband, whose identity was not disclosed, for years, and the couple invited him to stay with them in April 2019.

On the morning of April 22, the victim’s spouse headed to an area casino to gamble, leaving his wife and McKernan alone at the single-story residence in the 300 block of Pico Road, near Zanjero Road.

At some point during the six-hour period in which the man was out, a confrontation occurred between McKernan and the woman, culminating in him allegedly attacking her with a household object, prosecutors said.   

Carsman’s husband returned around 6 in the evening to find her dead on the floor from “significant trauma” to the upper body, the Palm Springs Police Department said at the time.

McKernan was still at the property when officers arrived in response to the spouse’s 911 call. The defendant was taken into custody withoutincident.

A forensic technician testified that blood found on the defendant’s shoes, shirt and pants indicated he was near the victim when she was struck with blunt force, which caused her blood to splatter.  

A possible motive wasn’t disclosed.

McKernan has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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Tori King

The owner of La Quinta’s first food truck park says the endeavor is a major success, but the project is running on borrowed time.

It’s a story that News Channel Three has been following for almost a year now, a piece of land near Old Town La Quinta that remained an empty gravel lot for years, until local business owner Bryan Newman purchased it with plans to build the city’s first food truck park. There was some initial pushback on those plans, but ultimately the city voted unanimously to approve the temporary use permits in a July meeting last year. Come September, if additional permits aren’t approved, the park may have to stop operations.”We did get a temporary use permit for 18 months for La Quinta Landing,” said Newman. “Which will expire of September 31, of 2025. We got the food trucks in. We’ve enhanced the property, and we’ve proven the concept.”Now, the area is a bustling food truck park, where families gather to enjoy lunch in the sun. “We’re looking at, you know, in the last five months max, they’ve already facilitated over 5,000 customers,” explained Newman. Jordan Gastelum, the owner and operator of Birrieria Sinaloa says his truck has become a popular fixture in the village.

“It’s been really, really good,” said Gastelum. “We have a lot of clients, a lot of support. We’re really proud of it. Our customers are really happy.”Newman has owned Pedego Electric Bikes in La Quinta for ten years. Newman, along with the food truck operators all say the project has been a major success, without competing with the businesses that currently operate downtown.”The city has has an ordinance against food trucks, which they were willing to do a temporary use permit for me to be able to prove that this concept is successful,” said Newman. “And so we’re at that point now where I think we’ve exceeded what they wanted. This has been amazing. It’s way bigger than I ever thought it would be. I’m optimistic that the customer base, we’re not stealing from anybody. We’re not drawing from anybody. We’re actually coexisting, which is what my initial goal was. We have different customers here than the restaurants do, but the customers will wander into town and spend money in the Village after visiting the food trucks, which is what we want.”Abel Avalos, the owner of Aldo’s Mexican Food truck agrees. “A lot of families eat from here too,” said Avalos. “And we’re getting known out here with the whole community, and we’re really appreciative about that.” But as the end of the temporary use permit draws near, Newman is hoping to make the food truck park a permanent fixture.

“I’m at a point now where I’m willing to spend a lot more money and invest a lot more time and really do the project to the level of which it deserves, and we’re just in the process of getting all that stuff done now,” said Newman.”We’re trying to get the community to be on our side, to help us, to give support, because people really like us here,” said Gastelum. “So we don’t want this to end in September.However, Newman is at a standstill, waiting to know the fate of the food truck park which remains in the hands of the city. “We all know that temporary means temporary, not permanent,” said Newman. “So we didn’t over extend our budget to getting too crazy by spending money on something that could very well not last.

Pending approval, Newman says he has huge pans for the property in the future including live music, movie nights– and later night bites.”We know there’s a demand for live music. We know there’s a demand for the village to maybe have a place that stays open a tad bit later, said Newman. “So we look forward to the future of not only having just food trucks, but having an actual area for the community to meet, some additional businesses, more food trucks, and just kind of a community hub where people can meet and bring families and dogs and strollers and babies and ride bikes. News Channel Three will continue to follow this story, and plans to speak with the city, as well as local business owners in the area.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Summer Pass returns on May 1. Summer Passes are valid May 1 through August 31, 2025.

The Summer Pass includes unlimited Tram admissions for the passholder, a 10% discount on additional Tram admissions (limit 4), a 10% discount at Peaks Restaurant and Pines Café, and free parking.

Summer Passes are $85 for adults and seniors, and $45 for children ages 3-10. Beginning May 1, guests may purchase their Summer Pass online at https://pstramway.com/tickets/ or in-person at the Tramway’s Valley Station.

Temperatures at the top of the Tramway are typically 30-40 degrees cooler than on the valley floor. Passholders can enjoy over 50 miles of hiking trails, picnic areas and campgrounds in the 14,000-acre pristine wilderness of the Mount San Jacinto State Park.

For more information, please visit www.pstramway.com.

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Kendall Flynn

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Wearing jeans with a purpose. Denim Day is recognized on the last Wednesday of April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

College of the Desert’s Office of Student life is partnering with Partners Against Violence to bring awareness to Denim Day and sexual violence prevention.

During the awareness day, people wear denim in solidarity with sexual violence victims. It was started in 1999 in Italy after the Italian Supreme Court ruling overturned a rape conviction claiming the victim had to have helped the rapist remove her jeans, implying she consented.

In response to the ruling, women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans in solidarity with the victim. After this, the act was picked up by international media and inspired Peace Over Violence to create Denim Day.

Since then, Denim Day has become the longest-running sexual violence prevention campaign worldwide. The denim has become a symbol of protest against sexual assault misconceptions as a visual demonstration of support for survivors.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from COD, Partners Against Violence and students on the importance of Denim Day.

Resources available for sexual assault/violence victims

College of the Desert

COD Public Safety – 760-341-2111

Student Health and Wellness – 760-776-7211 or Studenthealth@collegeofthedesert.edu

Cravens Student Services Center, Room 133

Monday through Thursday: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Friday: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Partners Against Violence

https://www.partnersagainstviolence.org/

Coachella Valley: 78370 Hwy 111, Suite 130 La Quinta, CA 92253

(760) 568-9071

24/7 Crisis Hotline: (909) 885-8884

info@partnersav.org

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Julia Castro

Update – 5/1/25

Stephen Spurlock worked as a guest teacher/certificated specialist in the Desert Sands Unified School District, officials confirmed to News Channel 3. This is before his tenure at Palm Valley School in Rancho Mirage.

Spurlock served continuously as a guest teacher/certificated specialist at DSUSD from August 2013 to June 2022, records show.

Spurlock was charged Thursday with 21 felony counts of sexual abuse, including 19 counts of rape. He is scheduled to be arraigned in court Friday in Rancho Cucamonga.

Original Report – 4/30/25

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – A teacher and coach from the Coachella Valley is under arrest, facing multiple felony charges for allegedly molesting a teenager for over two years.

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Stephen Spurlock, 43, was taken into custody after a 911 call reporting ongoing abuse. Investigators say the victim was just 14 when the alleged molestation began.

Spurlock, who teaches and coaches at Palm Valley School, a private school in Rancho Mirage. School officials told News Channel 3 the incident did not involve a Palm Valley student, nor did it occur on school property.

Spurlock was arrested after detectives served a search warrant at his Yucca Valley home. Deputies say they recovered evidence linked to the case during the search. He faces several serious charges, including sodomy, lewd acts with a child, and continuous sexual abuse.

He is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

The sheriff’s department believes there may be additional victims in both San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station at 760-366-4175.

Statement from Palm Valley School:

Yesterday afternoon, the Interim Head of School PVS was notified by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office (Morongo Basin Station) that Stephen Spurlock, a Palm Valley School third grade teacher, was arrested in San Bernardino County and charged with sex against a child.

The Sheriff’s office confirmed the incident did not involve a Palm Valley Student, nor did it occur on Palm Valley School property.

Stephen Spurlock was immediately placed on indefinite leave. In adherence to our commitment to child protection and accreditation standards, Palm Valley School maintains a stringent policy mandating background checks for all individuals working in proximity to students. We emphasize our steadfast dedication to the safety of children, and this commitment remains unwavering.

We extend our gratitude to law enforcement authorities for their diligence in this matter. The well-being and safety of our students are paramount. We are focused on supporting our students, families, faculty, and staff at this time. We will continue to take all necessary measures to support our community and cooperate with law enforcement.

Stay with New Channel 3 for any new developments.

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