Category: kesq-local-news

Kendall Flynn

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Coachella Valley residents continue to prepare for Christmas by buying real trees this holiday season. For local Christmas tree farmers they’re working to make sure the trees are prepared to last until the holiday.

Aerni Christmas Tree Farm with locations off Washington Street in Palm Desert and Ramon Road in Cathedral City has been working to keep it’s trees alive and well in the Valley for residents. Many of their trees are under tarps with water consistently flowing over them.

“It’s kind of like produce or bananas or, you know, what have you,” Verlyn Aerni, co-owner of the family farm said. “We’re putting up our inventory, until the sun goes down, and then it gets nice and cool, and they stay super fresh.”

They say moisture is essential to extending the longevity of the trees, forcing them to lay many down under shade tarps for misting. While it’s an essential process, Aerni worries it is deterring customers.

“My concern with that is people driving by thinking we’re done selling trees,” Aerni said. “We definitely have trees, and, we will [have them] at least through this next weekend and the week after that.”

Aerni also ensures the trees on the lot will last residents through Christmas. He said many trees like the Douglas Fir or Grand Fir grow quickly, but it means they do not last long as long as slow growing trees. Aerni said those trees come in a separate shipment and are held till nearly two weeks before Christmas, something he said big box stores don’t always do.

“Home Depot and Lowe’s, they sell theirs from the get go,” Aerni said. “We tend to just keep ours kind of preserved…we’re already bringing them out and they’ll last just fine from here on out.”

Aerni said the key to keeping your tree alive and well through Christmas is consistent water in the tree stand and light misting.

News Channel 3 also checked in with Aerni Family Christmas Trees on their sales for this season. Aerni said he believes they are on track with last year, but it is too soon for official sale numbers.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear more about the process for preparing trees for residents and how sales have been going this season.

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Athena Jreij

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Cathedral City discussed several items in its first city council meeting since the death of Councilmember Mark Carnevale in November.

Councilmember started with a moment of silence before discussing their grief over Carnevale’s death.

The city council voted to appoint his replacement in District 3. The city will accept candidate statements until 5 p.m. on December 29. Letters may be submitted by email, mail, or in person to the City Clerk’s Office:

City Clerk’s OfficeEmail: cityclerk@cathedralcity.gov68700 Avenida Lalo Guerrero, Cathedral City, CA 92234

Qualifying candidates will be invited to a special council meeting at 3 p.m. on January 7 where they will be interviewed.

To be eligible, applicants must be registered voters and residents of District 3. To verify your district, visit cathedralcity.gov/government/electoral-districts.

The council has until January 15 to fill the vacancy.

The appointed Councilmember will serve the remainder of Councilmember Carnevale’s term, which expires in November 2026.

Cathedral City also appointed its next Mayor, Raymond Gregory, and Mayor Pro Tem Ernesto Gutierrez. It’s Gregory’s second term as mayor. The city rotates its mayoral position annually among the five councilmembers.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

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Cynthia White

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Dozens of volunteers, including Palm Springs Police, joined together for the Kids in Conflict (KIC) Foundation Christmas Wrap Party event Tuesday night.

The event was held at the Indio Juvenile Hall, where everyone wrapped stacks of gifts and packed gift bags for the youth housed there to make sure they have some holiday cheer.

Indio Juvenile Hall Probation Specialist Monika Ortega has been involved with the event for 23 years, and has been an Advisor at the KIC Foundation for 15 of those years. Ortega says it’s important to give gifts and celebrate the holidays with the kids because, “We do have some kids that have come from troubled homes. Maybe parents aren’t involved or grandparents aren’t involved, so they’ve never experienced, you know, Christmas. So we do try to decorate, try to give them the homey feeling.”

“When we contact the juveniles, usually it’s in a in a bad connotation, generally speaking. This is our way of kind of giving back to them, letting them know that we still care and we still believe in them. We’re not having given up hope and we’re hoping that they find hope in us being here supporting them” said Palm Springs Police Department Lieutenant Michael Torres. “The hope is today that we give them a little bit of hope and let them know that we’re still here. We haven’t given up that that hope.”

KIC Foundation President Tom Ward says it’s important for the kids at Juvenile Hall have an opportunity to open some kind of present on Christmas morning. Included in the gift bags are things like notebooks, puzzles, and candy for the kids, who aren’t allowed outside presents, even from parents, due to security policies.

Ward adds, “Some of these kids, you know, yeah, they got in trouble. But, you know, they probably – the one thing they think about is that 30 seconds of that bad decision and so now they’re making better decisions, a lot of them, and just to see that community cares.”

Each year, the KIC Foundation provides more than $6,500 in gifts for over 190 youth at Indio Juvenile Hall and the Youth Treatment and Education Center. The Palm Springs Police Officers Association contributed $2,500 toward this year’s effort.

The KIC Foundation is a nonprofit organization supporting youth in Riverside County Probation detention facilities, including Indio Juvenile Hall.

The Foundation focuses on at-risk youth in juvenile detention who face significant challenges and are working to move forward. This includes youth on probation or in custody who benefit from mentorship, education, structure, and rehabilitative services.

For more information on KIC Foundation, visit kicfoundation.org.

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Cynthia White

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – Eisenhower Health is being recognized among the nation’s best for maternity care.

U.S. News & World Report named Eisenhower a High Performing facility in its 2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual study. The High Performing designation is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of the study.

Eisenhower Health earned the High Performing designation in recognition of maternity care, measured by factors such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, severe unexpected newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, and birthing-friendly practices, among other measures.

Hospital leaders say the award highlights their commitment to exceptional care for mothers and newborns. Eisenhower Health’s Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer Eric Leroux, MD, says, “This recognition is a testament to the skill, compassion, and dedication of our entire maternity team, who place patient safety and quality at the forefront of every decision. We are honored to serve families in our community during such a meaningful moment in their lives.”

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Cynthia White

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – California is officially the most generous state in America according to GoFundMe’s 2025 Year in Help report.

GoFundMe released the report celebrating the generosity of individuals and nonprofits worldwide who helped each other throughout the year.

This is the first time California has topped the list for the most generous state in the U.S. In addition, California is home to 5 of the top 10 most generous communities in the U.S. this year, with Los Angeles, Marin, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and Ventura all making the list.

Locally, Coachella Valley communities came together in 2025 on GoFundMe. Notable fundraisers in valley were Restoring The Velvet Rope, a business that sustained heavy damages when a powerful explosion rocked downtown Palm Springs, and Save Oscar’s Palm Springs, a downtown restaurant that needed support to keep its doors open.

California had more repeat donors than any other state across the country. The outpouring of support was evident after wildfires swept through Altadena and Pacific Palisades at the beginning of the year – resulting in the most generous day of the year globally on Jan. 10, 2025, amid those wildfires.

An average of one in every five California households donated to a GoFundMe this year.

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Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Palm Springs International Airport set records in 2025, with nearly all months showing year-over-year growth.

The busiest month ever was March, recording nearly half a million passengers.

PSP officials say the increase in domestic travel has more than compensated for the small drop in Canadian flights.

And with just a few weeks left to go, 2025 is expected to be the airport’s busiest year.

PSP Spokesperson Jake Ingrassia says, “Palm Springs remains a very highly desirable destination, and the airlines are responding to that demand. PSP has no actual say, believe it or not, if flights come here; that is all up to the airlines. The only thing that we can do here is accommodate that growth and make sure that we’re able to provide a great guest experience for the over three million passengers that we’re seeing every year here at PSP.”

News Channel 3’s Peter Daut spoke with Ingrassia about the record-setting 2025, and what’s ahead for 2026 at Palm Springs International.

Right now, the airport has more than 30 active projects, including 80 new EV chargers in the parking lot. It’s also adding several new concessions.

For more information on Palm Springs International Airport’s plans for the future, visit flypsp.com/progress.

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Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — The Transgender Health and Wellness Center has filed a complaint with California’s Civil Rights Department, alleging that Riverside County’s Housing and Workforce Solutions Department inserted discriminatory language into a contract that could affect transgender, gender-nonconforming, and intersex residents.

According to the organization, the county altered the terms of a contract that provides funding for emergency housing and support services. CEO and founder Thomi Clinton said the new language reflects policies tied to President Trump’s executive order that bars reimbursement to groups “promoting gender ideology.”

“Unfortunately, our name is gender ideology. So they are demanding I sign that contract, which then I risk not getting my 132-thousand dollars back, that I’m out, and they’re refusing to give me my reimbursements for the organization that we have paid out in good faith until we sign that new agreement.”

Thomi Clinton, Transgender Health & Wellness Center CEO & Founder

Clinton said she attempted to work with the county before filing the complaint, but claims she faced retaliation instead.

“They said there was no other contract and then we have this contract that we have in email correspondence where we have it and we sent it and they awarded it to us.”

Thomi Clinton, Transgender Health & Wellness Center CEO & Founder

The center noted that other cities have resisted similar federal directives and continued to support LGBTQ+ services.

Without the funding, Clinton warned that critical housing and safety programs for LGBTQ+ residents could be jeopardized—services that thousands in the county rely on.

“The county has not been that supportive of LGBQ people, in general… Instead they took the opportunity to carry out what they did and kiss the ring of the king and move forward with it.”

Response From Riverside County:

“The County of Riverside and the Continuum of Care have partnered with the Transgender Health & Wellness Center for several years. The most recent HUD-funded agreement ended after the County identified areas where contractual requirements were not fully met. The County has not been made aware of the concerns raised, however will fully cooperate with any review requested. The provisions in question were mandated by HUD and incorporated exactly as required into our grant agreements. As an administrative entity, the County must ensure compliance with all federal grant conditions while ensuring services remain accessible and responsive to community needs.”

With the complaint now filed, the state will begin an investigation into the matter.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Palm Springs City Councilmember Naomi Soto was officially sworn in as the city’s new mayor on Wednesday.  

Soto was sworn in during Wednesday’s City Council meeting.

Soto, a health-care executive, was elected in November 2024 to represent District 4. She will serve for one term in the rotating position, with Councilman David Ready serving as mayor pro tem, officials said.

Now former-mayor Ron deHarte delivered his final remarks as mayor and will continue to serve as council member for District 3.   

Councilmember David Ready was also be sworn in as Mayor Pro Tem. He is set to serve as the city’s mayor after Soto.

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Garrett Hottle

CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ) A memorial dedicated to Baby Emmanuel Haro has been removed from the Cabazon property that has been a focal point in the investigation into his disappearance.

News Channel 3 visited the home Tuesday and confirmed that candles, stuffed animals and other memorial items that had been outside the house in recent weeks are now gone.

Several TikTok livestreamers who gathered at the scene said people they identified as family members removed the memorial and talked about plans to rent out the property. News Channel 3 has not independently confirmed their relationship to the Haro family or any rental arrangements for the home.

The change at the Cabazon property comes as the criminal cases connected to Baby Emmanuel move forward in Riverside County.

According to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, Jake Mitchell Haro pleaded guilty on October 16, 2025, to second degree murder in the death of his 7-month-old son, along with charges of child endangerment and filing a false police report. He was sentenced on November 3 to 25 years to life in state prison, plus additional time for prior child abuse convictions.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office confirmed last month that on November 19 Haro was released from county custody and transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to begin serving his sentence.

Emmanuel’s mother, Rebecca Haro of Cabazon, has pleaded not guilty to murder and related charges and remains in custody on $1 million bail.Court records show she is due back in court on January 21 for a felony settlement hearing in the case.

To date, prosecutors say they believe Emmanuel died as a result of ongoing abuse, but his remains have not been recovered.

Investigators have previously said they served multiple search warrants at the Cabazon home and carried out extensive searches in both Yucaipa and Cabazon, as well as in other areas of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

News Channel 3 has reached out to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for any new information on the status of the case. The office has not responded.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Prosecution testimony got underway today in the trial of two convicted felons and another man accused of gunning down a 24-year-old Riverside resident after carjacking him and his girlfriend.   

Trezell Lamone Heckard, 30, of Vallejo, Anthony Antoine Wright, 33, of Indio, and Qevon Xavier Harvey, 27, of Desert Hot Springs are accused in the 2022 slaying of Benjamin Chanes.

The trio are all charged with first-degree murder, two counts each of carjacking and kidnapping and one count of burglary, along with special circumstance allegations of killing in the course of a robbery, killing in the course of a kidnapping and killing in the course of a burglary.

Wright is additionally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.   

The prosecution and defense presented opening statements Monday after Riverside County Superior Court Judge Charles Koosed seated a jury. The District Attorney’s Office summoned its first witnesses Tuesday morning at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

According to an arrest warrant declaration filed by the Riverside Police Department, on the afternoon of March 6, 2022, Chanes and his girlfriend, identified in documents only as “N.D.,” were returning to Riverside from Los Angeles in her vehicle, with the victim at the wheel, when they came to a stop in an unfamiliar area after exiting the freeway and were immediately approached by one of the defendants, allegedly wielding a handgun.   

The man approached the driver’s side and ordered Benjamin out at gunpoint, the affidavit stated. Chanes complied, at which point an additional three men “told N.D. to get out of the car, and they took her to another waiting vehicle and told her to keep her head down. She did what she was told.”  

The woman later told Robbery-Homicide Unit detectives that Chanes was seated in her car, while she was forced to drive with several of the defendants in their vehicle, a 2011 Chevrolet Impala. The trip lasted 15 minutes, after which both vehicles were parked outside the Boulder Creek Apartment Complex on Iowa Avenue, according to the declaration.  

Police alleged the defendants then hustled Chanes and N.D. into the victim’s apartment, pushing the woman into a closet, then demanding to know from Chanes “where the money was” kept. For about 10 minutes, the defendants ransacked the apartment, with N.D. in the closet, unable to see where her boyfriend was being held, the affidavit alleged.

Chanes abruptly bolted from the apartment when the men were distracted, but they immediately gave chase, according to police. While he was attempting to run away, Wright allegedly opened fire on the victim, inflicting multiple gunshots to his back, causing Chanes to collapse on the sidewalk, according to the affidavit.   

The young man died a short time later at Riverside Community Hospital.   

The defendants fled in the woman’s vehicle, leaving behind their own Chevy sedan, police alleged. N.D. emerged from the closet and called 911 moments after the gunfire. She was not injured.

Detectives gathered fingerprint and other evidence from the Chevy, leading them to one of the defendants’ social media accounts, during which revelations about the shooting ultimately came to light, according to the affidavit.

The men were arrested at different times over an 18-month span.   

Their co-defendant, Kahlin Cynque Erwin, 30, of Pittsburg, Calif., pleaded guilty last year to kidnapping and is due for sentencing in January. He’s free on a $55,000 bond and may testify for the prosecution.

Harvey and Wright are each being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail, while Heckard is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility.  

Details regarding his and Wright’s prior convictions were unavailable.

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