Riverside state senator cited on suspicion of driving under the influence
Board resolves to establish 'no-kill' standards for Riverside County animal shelters
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FBI: DNA testing confirms bombing suspect died in Palm Springs blast
Prosecutor: Developer accused of bribing ex-mayor cared only about 'money ... and control'
City News Service
City News Service
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NA testing on human remains found at the scene of Saturday's bombing of a Palm Springs fertility clinic confirmed them to be those of the man named as a suspect in the explosion, FBI officials said Monday. The FBI announced on social media that the DNA from the human remains found "a positive match to Guy Edward Bartkus, the suspect in the clinic attack. FBI officials said previously the remains at the scene were presumed to be those of the 25-year-old Twentynine Palms resident, who was identified over the weekend as the suspect in the blast that occurred around 11 a.m. Saturday at the American Reproductive Centers facility clinic, 1199 N. Canyon Drive. The clinic was closed at the time of the explosion, but four others were injured at the scene. Those victims were released from medical care as of Sunday. Bartkus has now been confirmed as the only fatality. In a Sunday morning news briefing, Akil Davis, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said authorities served a search warrant Saturday at Bartkus' home in Twentynine Palms,
Guy Edward Bartkus. | Photo courtesy of the FBI
where some neighbors were briefly evacuated. Davis said Bartkus was driving a 2010 silver Ford Fusion sedan with California license number 8HWS848. "That's critical because we need the public's help in identifying the gaps in our investigation," Davis said. "We know where Mr. Bartkus was at about 6 a.m. We know the timeline of when he entered the city; however, we need the public's help for identifying where he traversed within the city before the explosion." Authorities were also working to determine what
type of explosives were used and where the suspect obtained them. The clinic sustained extensive damage in the blast, which Davis described Saturday as an "intentional act of terrorism" and "one of the largest bombing investigations we've had in Southern California," with evidence strewn for hundreds of feet around the blast. On Sunday, Davis went a step further saying: "The is probably the largest bombing scene that we've had in Southern California. This does eclipse the
bombing matter in Aliso Viejo (at a day spa in 2018); it's that big. For reference, to throw pieces of vehicle hundreds of feet in the air, and several blocks away, you can use your imagination how big that bomb device was." Authorities reiterated Sunday that all the embryos inside the fertility clinic building were safe. Davis said Sunday that "the suspect had nihilistic ideations." U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli noted that "an anti pro-life manifesto believed to be authored by the suspect has been located and is being examined by the FBI. We are happy to report that no embryos at the IVF center were damaged by the explosion. This case is being treated as an intentional act of domestic terrorism. The investigation is ongoing." The online manifesto includes a rambling audio recording, with the author outlining his motivations and noting that "nobody got my consent" to be born. The website -- since removed from the internet -- noted that the person intended to live-stream his suicide See Bombing Page 31
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real estate developer accused of enriching the one-time mayor of Palm Springs with six-figure bribes to cinch his support for downtown projects cared only about "money ... and control," a prosecutor said Monday, while the defense countered there was "little" evidence implicating the man in a conspiracy. "The law is very clear: You have to follow the rules," Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Amy Zois told jurors in her opening statement Monday at the Banning Justice Center. Zois characterized 86-year-old John Elroy Wessman's business relationship with former Mayor Steve Pougnet as one of backroom deals intended to do one thing — benefit Wessman and his ventures. The prosecutor said the defendant and fellow developer Richard Hugh Meaney, 59, conspired to favor Pougnet with high-dollar rewards for gaining the mayor's support for See Corruption trial Page 32
Homelessness declines in San Bernardino County By Joe Taglieri
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joet@beaconmedianews.com
an Bernardino County homelessness decreased over 10% in 2025 compared with last year, according to results of the county's annual point-in-time count. Unsheltered homelessness decreased countywide from 3,055 people in 2024 to 2,620 this year, or more than 14%. Overall homelessness decreased from 4,255 to 3,821. In 2018, the number of unhoused county residents was 2,118 and steadily increased until this year, PITC data shows. The 2025 report lists count data from cities in San Bernardino County. San Bernardino had 1,535 individuals experiencing See Homelessness Page 31
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