Man suspected of vehicle theft pleads not guilty to felony charges
Deliberations to continue in Costco shooting trial of ex-LAPD officer
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County’s Mobile Crisis Response for mental health incidents expands to 24/7 By Staff
City of Indio launches rewards program to support local businesses
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n an effort to encourage community members to support local businesses, the city of Indio launched a new rewards program Friday that will offer community members 5% cashback on purchases made within the city. "The city of Indio is committed to the success of our business community for both new and longstanding businesses and I am thrilled to see Indio spotlight the importance of shopping local," Mayor Lupe Ramos Amith said in a statement. The Open Rewards program was available on Apple and Android platforms, and once downloaded, will direct users to a registration page to create and account, according to a statement from the city. Once logged into the account, a directory of eligible businesses in the city will be available for viewing. To redeem rewards after a local purchase, users can
| Photo courtesy of the Riverside University Health System
said in a statement. Mobile Crisis Response Teams consist of therapists, behavioral health case managers, substance abuse counselors and peer support specialists who are trained
Clinical therapist Lori McCallum Bailey and Erika Amendariz, the county response team’s office assistant supervisor, stand next to a van in the county's fleet for Mobile Crisis Response. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside University Health System
residents have access to the support they need when they need it. We serve everyone, anywhere, any time," said Dr. Matthew Chang, director of Behavioral Health at RUHS,
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By City News Service
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iverside County has expanded its mental health crisis responders' fleet and hours to around-the-clock service, officials announced Tuesday. County residents now can expect service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the Riverside University Health System - Behavioral Health Mobile Crisis Response team. The expansion included five new vans, which augment RUHS-BH’s "substantial" mobile crisis fleet, that are based throughout the county to provide community members privacy and the courtesy of discretion on the scene of a behavioral or mental health crisis, officials said. "A behavioral health crisis can happen at any time, so it's important that our
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to handle suicidal thoughts, substance use and misuse emergencies and other behavioral health incidents. "Intervention is crucial for de-escalating a behavioral
health crisis, saving lives, and avoiding unnecessary emergency department care, psychiatric hospitalization, and law enforcement involvement," according to a county statement. In fiscal year 2021-2022, response teams shifted 70% of people experiencing a crisis from law enforcement and inpatient hospital admissions, according to the county. Officials said that demonstrates "the effectiveness of a compassionate approach in handling crises without the need for further law enforcement involvement." RUHS-BH has collaborated with Sycamores, an organization that specializes in behavioral health outreach and crisis support, to expand its Mobile Crisis Response to consistently ensure overnight coverage year-round. Sycamores is based in Los Angeles and has an office in Palm Springs at 490 S. Farrell Drive. “We welcome the opportunity to support Riverside
County," Sycamores President and CEO Debra Manners said in a statement. "We've experienced firsthand the significant impact these teams can have during a behavioral health crisis, and we are eager to extend our services to the residents of Riverside County." RUHS-BH also provides mental health urgent cares, Take My Hand Live Peer Chat, Peer Support & Resource Centers, Transitional Age Youth Centers and many county-run youth and adult wellness clinics, officials said. Mental health urgent care facilities are located in Riverside, 9980 County Farm Road, Building 2, 951-509-2499; Perris, 85 Ramona Expressway, Suites 1-3, 951-3494195; and Palm Springs, 2500 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Suite A4, 760-424-5602. The public can access Mobile Crisis Response and other behavioral health services by calling 951-686HELP. More information is available at RUHealth.org.
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Man who killed ex-lover, her boyfriend sentenced to life without parole By City News Service
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probationer who killed his one-time "sugar girl" and her boyfriend at his Temecula home during an altercation over their occupancy of the property was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A Murrieta jury last month deliberated just over a day before finding 60-year-old David Alan Floyd of Temecula guilty of killing Danielle Ricker of Temecula and Angel Ponce of Escondido, both 31. Jurors convicted Floyd of two counts of first-degree murder and found true a special circumstance allegation of taking multiple lives, as well as convicting him of being a probationer in possession of a firearm and violating a domestic violence restraining order, with sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations. During a hearing at the Southwest Justice Center Friday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Freer imposed two consecutive terms of life without parole for the two murders. See Prison Page 27