Sheriff, state elections chief clash over countylevel probe
Riverside County supervisor calls for end to sheriff's election investigation
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Coachella mayor admits felony conflict of interest in plea deal By Joe Taglieri joet@beaconmedianews.com
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oachella Mayor Steven Andrew Hernandez pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony corruption charge involving a government contract in a pretrial deal with prosecutors and was expected to announce his resignation, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office announced. Hernandez, 43, immediately received a sentence of two years' probation and 200 hours of community service for his conviction on one felony count of violating Government Code section 1090, a conflict-of-interest law that prohibits public officials from participating in government contracts in which they have a financial interest. As part of the plea bargain, the District Attorney's Office dropped eight
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related charges against the mayor including perjury and conflict of interest by a public official. The guilty-plea agreement was announced during a hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, where Superior Court Judge Dean Benjamini certified the terms and issued the stipulated sentence. State law prevents Hernandez from holding elected office in California, and he was expected to announce his resignation following his guilty plea. As of Wednesday, he remained pictured and listed as mayor on the city's website. The charges against the mayor surfaced in October after a Riverside County Grand Jury indictment was unsealed. Hernandez had
Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez. | Photo courtesy of Steven Hernandez/Facebook
been free on a $112,500 bond between then and Tuesday, when the court lifted his bail requirement. "The conflict-of-interest
charges relate to Hernandez's vote to approve a contract between ... Coachella and the Coachella Valley Association of
Governments' 'Housing First Program,' as well as his votes and advocacy related to downtown Coachella development programs," according to a District Attorney's Office statement in October. "The perjury charges relate to claims made by Hernandez on his 'Statement of Economic Interests' public disclosure forms." The California Fair Political Practices Commission designates such documents as "Form 700" that disclose officials' personal financial interests to ensure that they make decisions in the public's best interest instead of to enrich themselves. The first offense occurred in November 2021 and involved Hernandez's
efforts to direct relief funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act toward a rehabilitation project involving the downtown fire station, "in which the defendant knew, or had a reason to know, he had a financial interest," according to the indictment. Prosecutors leveled the same allegations regarding a January 2022 vote on the Fountainhead Plaza, a May 2022 vote on the Tripoli Mixed-Use Project, Hernandez's May 2023 vote on the Coachella Valley Association of Governments Housing First Program and his July 2023 vote on improvements for the Sunline Transit Agency Hub. The perjury charges
See Coachella mayor Page 36
Public asked for help finding those behind attacks on wild donkeys
Board cancels contract with Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival
By City News Service
By City News Service
iverside County Department of Animal Services officials Tuesday confirmed that dogs trained for aggression are likely responsible for some of the recent attacks resulting in brutal and often fatal injuries to wild burros around Moreno Valley and Riverside. "It's domestic dogs," agency Commander Lesley Huennekens told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
"Being in this career as long as I have, I've seen a lot. Dogs will get a hold of the front of the (donkey), and other dogs will grab the hind quarters. It doesn't take a whole lot of force to do the kind of damage that we're seeing." Huennekens was asked to speak on the matter by board Chair Karen Spiegel after she'd seen reports on Monday night's commuSee Donkeys Page 35
nity meeting hosted by the Riverside-based nonprofit DonkeyLand, which drew dozens of people to Sandals Church in Riverside, where speakers expressed outrage over the severe maltreatment of the burros. Nearly two dozen attacks have been documented since last fall. In multiple instances, burros' ears and tails were ripped to shreds;
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iverside County supervisors Tuesday approved termination of a contract with organizers of the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival due to unpaid bills, ending the possibility of the fest being held at Lake Skinner in Winchester anytime in the near future. In a 5-0 vote without comment, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday signed off on the
Regional Parks & Open Space District's request to formally cancel the previous compact between the agency and the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival Association. "Termination will result in the immediate return of the Lake Skinner Recreation Area to public use during the annual dates previously reserved for the
Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival," according to a district statement posted to the board's agenda. Emails to the festival association were not answered Monday or Tuesday. The event's previous publicity agent told City News Service she had not been contacted about handling any future events following her work in 2025.
See Balloon Festival Page 36