Category: kesq-local-news

Jesus Reyes

Editor’s Note: The wrong address for the Arabian Gardens Mobile Home Park was listed in the original version of the article. The correct address is on Clinton Street and Fred Waring Drive.

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Police recovered several illegal firearms during a search warrant service at a mobile home park in Indio Wednesday morning.

The investigation started at around 5 a.m. at the Arabian Gardens Mobile Home Park

“Early this morning, the Desert Regional SWAT Team and the Coachella Valley Narcotics Task Force, served a search warrant in the Arabian Gardens Mobile Home Park as part of an ongoing investigation,” reads a news release by the Indio Police Department. During the operation, several illegal firearms were recovered. This action is part of our continued efforts to enhance public safety and reduce the presence of illegal weapons in our community.”

There was no word on whether any arrests were made.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif.(KESQ) – The Board of Supervisors approved Riverside County Fire Department Chief Bill Weiser’s request to draft a revised ordinance delineating which communities should be designated fire risk zones, encompassing large swaths of the county, where households are already feeling the impacts from escalating property insurance costs.

Changes to Ordinance No. 787 will reflect updates to the Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps published in March by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, which is part of Cal Fire, the agency under contract with the county for fire protection services going back nearly a century.

The updated maps depict locations that rate “moderate,” “high” and “very high” under criteria established by Cal Fire.

The practice of classifying localities by zone began in the early 1990s, and since then, the Legislature has modified how classifications occur, focusing on “local responsibility areas,” in addition to “state responsibility areas.”   

After the maps are ironed out, they’re submitted to local jurisdictions — counties and cities — for consideration and approval after public hearings.

“The dramatic increase in areas designated as high fire risk, specifically within the city limits, has been exponential,” Lake Elsinore Mayor Bob Magee said in a statement released Friday. “The insurance industry has responded, raising rates and cancelling homeowners’ insurance policies left and right.”  

Magee has been one of the most outspoken critics of the latest zone changes, complaining that the Office of the State Fire Marshal did not accommodate the city’s and others’ attempts to contribute to the rating process.

Magee said that as a member of the State Board of Fire Services, he and the lobbying organization the League of California Cities tried to arrange for an agendized hearing involving Cal Fire administrators.

“The Zoom link on the agenda was missing one digit, preventing remote participation from those wishing to comment,” the mayor said.   

Magee expressed bewilderment over the updated maps and how they were arranged, pointing out that “a significant portion of our lake — underwater — has been designated as a High Fire Risk.”

Comments from Cal Fire were requested several times, but as of Tuesday afternoon, the agency had not responded after acknowledging receipt of questions.

“Once again, the elites in Sacramento stiff-armed the ability for local officials with intimate knowledge of their communities to have a voice,” Magee said. “As a result, hundreds of taxpaying homeowners now face the very real possibility of being unable to obtain homeowners insurance to protect their largest investment.”   

Along with Lake Elsinore, other cities and unincorporated communities countywide now have high or very high Fire Hazard Severity Zone risk designations.

The thousands of homes ringing the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park in Riverside, as well as properties within a large slice of the city’s western border with Norco, fall into red-lined tiers.

The same applies to parts of Banning, Canyon Lake, Calimesa, French Valley, Mead Valley, Meadowbrook, Menifee, Moreno Valley and Temescal Valley. Segments of the Coachella Valley generally rank at the moderate level.   

Movable maps can be viewed at osfm.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/community- wildfire-preparedness-and-mitigation/fire-hazard-severity-zones.   

Representatives in other cities were asked to comment on the changes but did not immediately respond.

Although the California Department of Insurance placed a moratorium on policy cancellations in January, the requirement only covers areas impacted by the major wildfires in Los Angeles County that resulted in thousands of damaged or destroyed properties amid the Santa Ana windstorm at the start of the year.  

“Fire Hazard Severity Zones are designated based on the likelihood of fire occurring and its expected behavior over a 30- to 50-year period,” according to a county fire statement posted to the board’s agenda Tuesday. “These zones are determined using factors such as fuel loading, terrain, fire weather conditions, historical fire activity and wind patterns.”   

The revised county ordinance will include mandates regarding “defensible space” around properties, land use planning, building code standards and full disclosures when real estate is sold, according to fire officials.

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Julia Castro

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) — A man was killed late Tuesday night after being struck by a car on State Route 86, just south of Interstate 10, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The crash happened around 10:56 p.m. The California Highway Patrol says a white Nissan Altima was traveling southbound on SR-86 near Dillon Road when a pedestrian attempted to cross the highway from the east to the west shoulder.

The driver, a man from Mexicali, Mexico, tried to avoid the collision but was unable to stop in time. The pedestrian died at the scene. His identity has not been released.

CHP says alcohol and drugs do not appear to be factors.

SR-86 was closed for approximately three hours while the investigation was underway. Traffic was detoured through Dillon Road to eastbound I-10 before returning to the highway.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Shay Lawson

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ)  – The recent immigration raids in Cathedral City are leaving behind more than fear — some workers said it’s hitting the local economy hard.

Alexander Rosas, landscape worker, who posted about the issue on social media, said when he was driving around the Coachella Valley he didn’t see a single landscaper or gardener.

“We thought it was weird because right now it’s Palm season. It’s a very busy time for gardeners and landscapers,” Rosas said.

He said workers in agriculture, landscaping and pest control are skipping shifts, amid mounting fears of immigration enforcement.

“My cousin works in agriculture,” Rosas said. “She was telling me that a lot of her workers are not showing up as well, because a lot of people are just scared.”

Multiple landscaping supply companies in the region also told News Channel 3 that they are seeing a noticeable drop in foot traffic and order volume.

While none would speak on camera, each confirmed that business has slowed significantly since the ICE raid last week.

“We were going to get supplies and usually when you pull up to anywhere that has supplies for gardeners and everything, it would be packed,” Rosas said. “These places were empty.”

The owner of Lead Pest Control, who asked to remain anonymous, said he’s worried about the future of his business.

“I am truly scared of what’s going to happen, what the country has in store for us in the next year,” the owner said.

Stay with News Channel 3 at 10 and 11 p.m. for the full report.

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Jesus Reyes

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KESQ) – Governor Gavin Newsom addressed Californians from Los Angeles. You can watch the address below:

Newsom said President Donald Trump “chose theatrics over public safety” in deploying the National Guard to respond to protests in Los Angeles.

He criticized the Trump administration for carrying out mass deportations.

When immigration raids took place in Los Angeles, “everyday Angelenos came out to exercise their constitutional right to free speech and assembly, to protest their government’s action,” Newsom said.

Instead of targeting undocumented immigrants and criminals, the Trump administration is focusing on mass deportations, according to Newsom.

The Trump administration is “indiscriminately targeting hardworking immigrant families regardless of their roots or risk,” Newsom said Tuesday.

Newsom’s address comes a few hours after a federal judge denied a request by the state of California for an emergency order blocking the deployment of additional federalized National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to the Los Angeles area.

The ruling came hours after California filed an emergency motion against the Trump administration asking the court to take immediate action to block President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Defense from expanding the current mission of National Guard personnel and Marines in Los Angeles.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer scheduled a hearing for Thursday afternoon in San Francisco federal court on the state’s request for a restraining order.

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Athena Jreij

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) — As President Trump orders over 4,000 troops to Los Angeles, the reaction among former Marines in the desert is mixed.

That number also includes 700 Marines from 29 Palms.

The protests, which have now entered their fifth day, have gone from peaceful to chaotic at times, with scenes of burning cars and some protesters looting buildings.

“You have to be on the side of public safety and law and order, and that’s what it’s going to take, law and order. We have to squash this riot,” Former Marine and La Quinta Councilman Steve Sanchez said.

For Jonathan Rich, a Palm Desert veteran, Trump’s deployment strikes a different chord.

“It’s difficult for somebody like me because the military means a lot to me. To be put in the position where what you’ve learned and trained for is to carry a weapon, but you’re not supposed to carry that weapon against civilians,” Rich said.

Rich says he fears a military presence will only escalate tensions.

“Neither the mayor nor the governor authorized or asked for these people, and by putting them there, he’s putting them and civilians in harm’s way.”

Sanchez disagrees with that.

“The rioters escalated it. The looters escalated it. The burning of buildings, police vehicles, attacking law enforcement. They’re the ones that escalated it.”

There’s also been questions if military personnel are properly trained to handle civilian protests.

Rich denies it, but Sanchez says his experience in the Marines did include riot training.

“We’re trained obviously in combat, but we’re also trained in riots. Because when we go overseas, often we have to take part in riot control or the, possibility of riots happening.”

One thing they can agree on is that demonstrations should continue peacefully.

“What we’re seeing is people taking advantage of peaceful protesters, taking the opportunity to do violence,” Sanchez said.

“Do not confront the National Guard or the Marines. Don’t confront them. Go somewhere else. Do it peacefully,” Rich said.

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Garrett Hottle

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KESQ) Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez is calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to immediately withdraw a proposal that would slash $700 million from California’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), program a move Gonzalez says would devastate seniors, people with disabilities, and rural families across the state.

“IHSS is not a luxury…it is a lifeline,” said Gonzalez, speaking Tuesday at a press conference on the Capitol steps in Sacramento. “Cutting this support puts real people at risk, especially families in rural areas and families raising those with disabilities.”

Gonzalez, whose son has cerebral palsy, was joined by fellow lawmakers, caregivers, and advocates who said the proposed cap on caregiver overtime and travel would force some families into crisis.

“These cuts would force families to make impossible choices: between work and care, between safety and survival,” Gonzalez said. “Governor Newsom must find a way to balance the budget without cutting critical care away from the people who need it the most. It is absolutely unacceptable.”

The IHSS program supports in-home care for low-income seniors and people with disabilities, allowing them to live independently rather than in institutions. Advocates warn the proposed cuts would not only strain families, but also threaten caregiver jobs and lead to increased costs elsewhere in the healthcare system.

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Angela Chen

As the school year comes to a close, KESQ is taking a deeper look into the psychology behind school fights and what schools are doing to address it. The Covid-19 pandemic worsened behavior issues across the nation,  and schools had to pivot to address the troubling trend. These fights can create hostile environments and affect student mental health.

“I think it can cause a lot of fear and anxiety and sadness in the kids that are viewing it [the fights],” said Melissa Hawkins, a mental health therapist at the Betty Ford Center. “I also think it questions their own safety, right? Like, am I going to be safe? Is this going to happen to me?” 

Here in the Coachella Valley, parents and students sent videos of fights into the KESQ newsroom. Now, years later, fights continue to be an issue at some schools.

I-team reporter Angela Chen looked into school suspensions across the desert — and found an interesting shift.

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City News Service

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KESQ) – A federal judge Tuesday denied a request by the state of California for an emergency order blocking the deployment of additional federalized National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to the Los Angeles area.

The ruling came hours after California filed an emergency motion against the Trump administration asking the court to take immediate action to block President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Defense from expanding the current mission of National Guard personnel and Marines in Los Angeles.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer scheduled a hearing for Thursday afternoon in San Francisco federal court on the state’s request for a restraining order.

The lawsuit brought late Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta follows Trump’s escalation of military forces in the Los Angeles area through the takeover of 4,000 National Guard soldiers and what state officials call the unlawful deployment of 700 Marines to act beyond simply guarding federal property.  

“The federal government is now turning the military against American citizens,” Newsom said in a statement. “Sending trained warfighters onto the streets is unprecedented and threatens the very core of our democracy. Donald Trump is behaving like a tyrant, not a President. We ask the court to immediately block these unlawful actions.”  

The request was filed as part of the state’s lawsuit filed against Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the DOD, charging violations of the U.S. Constitution and the president’s authority, not only because the takeover occurred without the consent or input of the governor, as federal law requires, but also because, Newsom said, it was unwarranted.   

A U.S. Department of Justice spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the litigation.   

“The President is looking for any pretense to place military forces on American streets to intimidate and quiet those who disagree with him,” Bonta said. “It’s not just immoral — it’s illegal and dangerous. Local law enforcement, not the military, enforce the law within our borders. The President continues to inflame tensions and antagonize communities. We’re asking the court to immediately block the Trump Administration from ordering the military or federalized national guard from patrolling our communities or otherwise engaging in general law enforcement activities beyond federal property.”   

According to state officials, in the early hours of Sunday morning, the DOD, at the direction of Trump, redirected hundreds of National Guard troops from San Diego to Los Angeles, without authorization from the governor and against the wishes of local law enforcement. In total, the department deployed 4,000 National Guard troops from across the state, as well as an additional 700 Marines, “an inflammatory escalation unsupported by conditions on the ground,” according to Bonta.

Trump has said that the deployment of the National Guard was a matter of law and order carried out in response to protests that erupted Friday during a series of immigration raids in the Los Angeles area, then worsening protests on Saturday.

On Monday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass should be thanking him for the deployment, saying that without it, “Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated.” He did not elaborate on the actions of Guard members, who were primarily deployed around federal buildings such as the Metropolitan Detention Center downtown, rather than actually working to quell the protests in the streets.   

In the lawsuit, Newsom and Bonta ask the court to hold that the orders federalizing the National Guard are unlawful, arguing that:   

— The federalization of the National Guard deprives the state of resources to protect itself and its citizens, and of critical responders in the event of a state emergency;

— the rarely used order in which the president may call the National Guard into federal service requires that the governor consent, which Newsom was not given the opportunity to do prior to their deployment; and   

— the president’s order infringes on Newsom’s role as commander-in- chief of the state National Guard and violates the state’s sovereign right to control and have available its National Guard in the absence of a lawful invocation of federal power.

Trump’s decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles amid mass deportation protests will likely cost $134 million, the Pentagon’s budget chief told lawmakers during a budget hearing Tuesday with Hegseth, who said the president is enforcing “law and order.”

Bonta said Trump’s order attempts to usurp state authority. He said the law cited by Trump has been invoked on its own only once before — when then-President Richard Nixon called upon the National Guard to deliver the mail during the 1970 Postal Service strike.

It is also the first time since 1965 — when President Lyndon Johnson sent troops to Alabama to protect civil rights demonstrators — that a president has activated a state’s National Guard without a request from the state’s governor, Bonta said.

On Sunday, Tom Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, made comments suggesting Newsom and other officials could face arrest if they interfere with federal enforcement actions. The agency later walked back the comment, saying Homan was not threatening to arrest Newsom. But on Monday, Trump told reporters he would support Homan arresting the governor.

“I think it’s great,” Trump said. “Gavin likes the publicity. … He’s done a terrible job. I like Gavin Newsom, he’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent, everybody knows.”

Newsom responded during an appearance on MSNBC over the weekend.   

“Come after me, arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy, you know?” Newsom said. “I don’t give a damn. But I care about my community. I care about this community. The hell are they doing? These guys need to grow up. They need to stop, and we need to push back. And I’m sorry, to be so clear, but that kind of bloviating is exhausting. So, Tom, arrest me. Let’s go.”

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Jesus Reyes

UPDATE 06/10/2025: As of 6:04 p.m., CAL FIRE reports that the fire remains at 175 acres and is now 50% contained.

All evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted. Crews will remain on scene throughout the night improving containment lines.

ANZA, Calif. (KESQ) – Firefighters are working to contain a fast-growing fire in Anza Tuesday afternoon.

The Cahuilla Fire was first reported at around 12:25 p.m. at the 52700 block of Highway 371.

By 4:30 p.m., the fire was mapped at 175 acres with 15% containment.

#CahuillaFIRE [UPDATE]:An evacuation ORDER has been put into place in zone CBI-CAHUILLA1.

NORTH of Cooper Cienega Truck TrailSOUTH of Wellman RoadEAST of Cahuilla Road/Pawnee CourtWEST of Terwilliger Road

An interactive map can be found here: https://t.co/KWAWyx2t6D

— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) June 10, 2025

News Channel 3 crews have reported seeing a bit of smoke over the mountains in the Coachella Valley.

CAL FIRE said that multiple engine and hand crews were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a rapid rate to the southeast, burning onto a hillside by the time the first Cal Fire air tankers reached the scene.

A total of six tankers and four water-dropping helicopters were requested, though as of 1:20 p.m., only two tankers were overhead.

There was no word regarding what might have triggered the fire. The area has been plagued by re-occurring summertime brushers for the last several years.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

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