“How is it that we’ve gone through all these hearings and meetings, and we’ve arrived at the same place we were four years ago?” Supervisor Chuck Washington asked at the end of Tuesday’s hearing on Ordinance No. 927. “We don’t seem to be moving the needle here. I get the same complaints from constituents. It’s disappointing. I come to work to try to maintain or improve their quality of life.”

The Transportation & Land Management Agency, along with the Department of Planning and Code Enforcement, had sought modifications to the STR ordinance based on studies and community meetings. But after a 90-minute hearing during which more than a dozen people aired grievances, the board voted unanimously to table action to an unspecified date.

However, due to legislative constraints, the board was unable to automatically extend a moratorium on the issuance of STR certificates in Thousand Palms and the B Bar H Ranch. Technically, the moratorium will expire on Feb. 28. But the supervisors’ consensus pointed to the likelihood of their renewing the moratorium, possibly for another 10 months, when they return for their next regular meeting on March 3.

The board implemented a slate of countywide regulations tied to STRs under Ordinance No. 927 in October 2022. The measure has been largely untouched since then, and Tuesday’s hearing was sought by TLMA to make a series of “minor” adjustments.

Short-term rentals are defined as residential dwellings leased for a maximum of 30 days and a minimum of two days and one night. Prior to the ratification of Ordinance No. 927, the county had a somewhat informal process for permitting short-term rentals. Officials said there are now roughly 1,100 certificated STR properties in unincorporated communities countywide.

Most of the comments heard by the board Tuesday reflected the same issues the panel considered when the ordinance was first implemented — lack of enforcement or consequences for STR operators who don’t follow the rules.

“The same bad actors are really the ones we’re talking about,” a Temecula Valley resident named Ron told the board. “The real problem is Code Enforcement doesn’t write citations. You need to rethink the officers’ hours of operation. They’re heading back home just when the parties are starting at night. Noise disturbances are preventing us from sleeping. Without code doing an adequate job, this will never be solved.”

Another Temecula Valley resident complained that regardless of how bad conditions are in the STR property adjacent to his home — where one weekend renter recently rammed a vehicle through the front door — Code Enforcement is ineffectual.

“My life is a living hell,” he told the board. “Nothing is being done. They have massive parties there, and all we’re asking is that Code Enforcement do some actual enforcement.”

An East Thousand Palms senior said her dirt road has been virtually overtaken by partygoers regularly renting out an STR property directly across from her home.

“Sometimes there 100 cars parked on the road, and they go off-roading,” she said. “Some cities in the Coachella Valley have banned STRs. There are too many. We don’t need more.”

Supervisor Jose Medina was aghast at what he heard, noting that he’d never experienced anything remotely like the speakers’ circumstances in his 30 years residing in the same Riverside house.

“We all have the right to live in peaceful, safe neighborhoods,” he said. “I’m glad we won’t vote on this today. We need to see more cooperation between the Sheriff’s Department and Code Enforcement.”

Board members recognized that the majority of STR operators are law-abiding, but said people leasing out some properties for illegal events had grown accustomed to flouting regulations — and had not faced serious penalties to deter them from doing so.

Supervisor Manuel Perez expressed hope that the agencies, with the guidance of the board, could “work out the kinks” to improve Code Enforcement operations.

“We should consider after-hours enforcement,” he said.

Although the county maintains an overnight phone line staffed by a complaint taker, the most that can be done between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. is for the staffer to call the STR operator to alert him or her to complaints. Deputies will respond to properties to investigate excessive noise and other disturbances, but Undersheriff Don Sharp admitted they have to “prioritize” calls. He said they will only go if they’re not needed for something that rates higher, such as a domestic violence or assault report.

The amendments that were under board consideration included a new provision enabling the director of the Department of Code Enforcement, head of the TLMA or the director of the Department of Planning to declare an “urgent circumstance” that grants authority to immediately order the abatement of a public nuisance at an STR.

The ordinance’s proposed new language also specified that any “responsible operator” of an STR may be denied a certificate of renewal if he or she received three notices of violation in a six-month span, or five notices over the entire duration of an STR certificate.

The slate of amendments further called for an increase in the initial STR application fee from $740 to $1,040, and elevating the annual renewal fee from $540 to $750. The Planning Commission voted 4-0 last month to recommend that the board designate funds to expand the county’s STR Enforcement Team.

A moratorium established in April 2025 halted the issuance of all STR certificates in Thousand Palms and the B Bar H Ranch. That suspension followed a surge in boisterous parties at vacation rental properties throughout the communities.

The TLMA confirmed complaints continued in both areas after the moratorium was invoked, but the number over the last six months totaled fewer than 40. The moratorium’s official sunset date is Feb. 28, but the board will discuss resetting it next month.

The post ‘My Life Is A Living Hell’: Complaints Continue About Short-Term Rentals In Riverside County appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Steven Saul Vargas, 33, of Lake Elsinore was arrested last month following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the slaying of Brian Rivas.

Along with murder, Vargas is charged with sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

He was arraigned Thursday before Superior Court Judge Judith Clark, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Nov. 18 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

The defendant is being held in lieu of $2 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Alberto Loureiro, shortly before 8 p.m. on Sept. 14, there was an unspecified confrontation between Vargas and Rivas at a home in the 28000 block of Wells Fargo Lane, near El Toro Road.

During the argument, the defendant allegedly pulled a handgun and opened fire, killing the victim on the spot, Loureiro said.

It was unclear whether Vargas remained at the scene or fled. No one was immediately detained for questioning.

The sergeant said the investigation was turned over to Central Homicide Unit detectives, who gathered evidence and statements in the ensuing three days that pointed to the defendant as the alleged shooter.

Vargas was taken into custody without incident on La Sierra Avenue in Riverside on the afternoon of Sept. 17.

He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County. However, he has an unresolved drug possession case from January.

The post Lake Elsinore Murder Trial: Not Guilty Plea For Accused Shooter appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

According to Sgt. Patrick Lynch’s statement, the checkpoint was set up on San Jacinto Boulevard, north of Midway Street, in a location known for spotting DUI drivers. It ran from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday morning, he said.

“DUI checkpoint locations are determined based on reported incidents of impaired driving-related crashes,” he said. “The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints is to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the roads.”

At the checkpoint, officers achieved the following results:
1070 vehicles screened
7 Field Sobriety Tests conducted
3 people arrested for DUI
21 citations issued for driving without a driver license
4 citations for vehicle code violations
3 felony arrests for outstanding warrants
1 misdemeanor arrest for outstanding warrant
7 vehicles were stored or impounded.

“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” Sgt. Lynch said. “Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improve traffic safety.”

The San Jacinto Sheriff Station reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The post Multiple Arrests, Vehicles Impounded At RivCo DUI/License Checkpoint appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Colleen Fitzpatrick, the records clerk, recently retired after working for the station for 10 years.

“For the past 10 years, you’ve been a dedicated, dependable, and compassionate employee!” a station spokesperson said over social media. “While we’ll deeply miss your presence, we’re excited for you to enjoy the joy and peace you deserve. Thank you for everything, Colleen.”

As for beginnings, the station shared kudos for a member of the Explorers Program, graduating to bigger and better things.

Ethan Schumacher has won the Explorer Scholarship from the Law Enforcement Appreciation Committee, according to a Southwest Station spokesperson on a social media post.

He was a part of Explorers Post 884, which, according to the city, “is a division of the Boy Scouts of America that gives young men and women between the ages of 14 and 21 a hands-on look at what a career in law enforcement is about.

Many Explorers who have graduated from this program have accepted careers in Law Enforcement, as Ethan hopes to do, according to a station spokesperson.

Many of them have remained with Riverside County and are now assigned to the Temecula Station and involved in training the next group of young men and women who are looking for a rewarding career.

“Ethan has proudly represented the Southwest Station and has been a true role model for his fellow explorers at Post 884,” they said. “His dedication to law enforcement, leadership within the program, and commitment to community service have set him apart.”

Ethan’s goal is to become a Deputy Sheriff one day, they said. “The scholarship is a well-earned recognition of his hard work.”

The post Southwest Station Passages: Young Explorer Earns Praise, Sends Retirement Well Wishes appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Deputies responded to the 21000 block of Waite Street at around 10:30 p.m. Friday following a report regarding an assault with a deadly weapon. There, they found a teen boy suffering from gunshot wounds, deputies said.

First responders offered first aid to the boy before transporting him to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries, deputies said.

A second boy was found at the scene suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, deputies said.

The sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit is investigating the shooting. No arrests have been reported.

The post 1 Boy Dead, 2nd Injured In RivCo Shooting appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Terrance Marquis Sherman, 25, of Temecula was arrested in the predawn hours Sunday following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the alleged attack in the 27000 block of Jefferson Avenue, just west of Interstate 15.

Along with attempted murder, Sherman is charged with two counts of firearm assault and one count of being a felon in possession of a loaded gun, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

The defendant, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center, was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Mattson, shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, Sherman and two men, whose identities were not disclosed, were involved in an unspecified physical altercation in the parking lot along Jefferson.

After the encounter, the defendant got into his car, and as he was driving away, opened fire with a pistol, hitting both victims, Mattson alleged.

He said witnesses called 911 and patrol deputies converged on the location minutes later, locating the two men with gunshot wounds. They were taken to a regional trauma center for treatment and are expected to fully recover.

The sergeant said deputies quickly found Sherman parked nearby and took him into custody without incident.

Court records show the defendant has prior felony convictions in another jurisdiction for which he served time in state prison. However, the offenses weren’t listed.

The post Felon Charged With Shooting Men After Fight Outside Temecula Business appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Thirty-six-year-old Blake Taylor White, who is registered as a sex offender in Temecula, was arrested on Wednesday and was being held on $100,000 bail at the Southwest Detention Center. He was slated to answer charges Friday at the Murrieta Southwest Justice Center for being a sex offender on school grounds, classified as a misdemeanor offense.

Tuesday at 9:15 p.m., at the behest of student dancers, a concerned parent reported a suspicious individual on a school campus in the 27000 block of Nicolas Road in Temecula.

A person believed to be White was seen “recording a dance performance from a distance,” according to Sgt. Narciso. “A student noticed he possibly had explicit photos on his cell phone and informed her parents.”

The man was recording a practice session, which caught the attention of the high school dancers.

“I was on stage performing our set, and I noticed the man in the back with his phone in the air,” he wrote in an emailed statement. “I asked multiple people if they knew him, but no one did. The teacher did not know him either. We went and confronted him, and I asked who he was. The man said he was ‘just coming from the gym.'”

According to the student’s statement, White told the kids he “just wanted to watch the show ” when asked what he was doing there.

Several of the dance students demanded that White delete the photos from his phone and leave, and while doing so, at least one saw pornographic pictures on his device, he told Patch.

Ultimately, White left the school, and “we watched him get into a (pool cleaning service) truck and drive away.”

The student told Patch he saw White drive away in a pool cleaning service truck emblazoned with the company name ‘Splash Zone’ on the side.

The students and teachers immediately notified their Southwest Sheriff’s Station School Resource Deputy, and White was identified as a registered sex offender on the California Megan’s Law database.

Deputies located White a day later in a Temecula neighborhood and arrested him on misdemeanor charges of being a sex registrant and trespassing on a school campus.

In 2024, he was arrested and placed on the sex offense registry for violating California Offense Code: 647.6(a)(1), Annoying or molesting a child under 18 years of age. According to the Megan’s Law database, he was released the same year.

Riverside County residents can visit the Megan’s Law website to familiarize themselves with the sex registrants in their community.

Anybody with additional information is urged to contact Deputy Kevin Au at the Southwest Sheriff Station, (951) 696-3000.

On Yelp, a ‘Blake W’ has claimed the Splash Zone pool cleaning page as that business owner. In uploaded photos, a business card photo shows the name Blake White, associated as the owner of a company called ‘Clear And Bright Headlight Restoration.’

The post Temecula Students Confront Sex Offender Recording High School Dance Practice appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The alleged theft was reported Feb. 13 at a store in the 18200 block of Collier Avenue. An employee told the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department via an online report that a female suspect was inside the store selecting various cans of baby formula and concealing them inside a tote bag.

“As the female exited the store, she assaulted the employee by pushing him aside and exited the store without paying for the items,” the sheriff’s department said.

Deputies identified the suspect as Zurikka Herron of Lake Elsinore. They detained Herron after conducting a traffic stop Tuesday, and she was later booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of robbery.

Herron was released Wednesday on $30,000 bail.

Anyone with information regarding the alleged theft was asked to contact Deputy Noel at the sheriff’s Lake Elsinore station at 951-245-3300.

The post Baby Formula Robbed From Lake Elsinore Store, Suspect Out On Bond appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The alleged theft was reported Feb. 13 at a store in the 18200 block of Collier Avenue. An employee told the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department via an online report that a female suspect was inside the store selecting various cans of baby formula and concealing them inside a tote bag.

“As the female exited the store, she assaulted the employee by pushing him aside and exited the store without paying for the items,” the sheriff’s department said.

Deputies identified the suspect as Zurikka Herron of Lake Elsinore. They detained Herron after conducting a traffic stop Tuesday, and she was later booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of robbery.

Herron was released Wednesday on $30,000 bail.

Anyone with information regarding the alleged theft was asked to contact Deputy Noel at the sheriff’s Lake Elsinore station at 951-245-3300.

The post Baby Formula Robbed From Lake Elsinore Store, Suspect Out On Bond appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Jorge Alberto Oceguera Rocha, a 26-year-old Banning resident, admitted last week to carrying the controlled substances and to possession of controlled substances for sale during a hearing in Riverside. 

He made the plea directly to Superior Court Judge David Gunn, without input or objection from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. 

During the hearing, Gunn dismissed sentence-enhancing allegations of perpetrating a drug-related offense while armed. He also imposed a four-year term of incarceration, which can be served in county jail because Rocha’s crimes are categorized as “non-violent.”

Rocha was released on Thursday from the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta after the court factored in state credits, intended to reduce overcrowding, and adding the time that he had already spent behind bars while awaiting disposition. He will now be on mandatory supervision for the next 16 months. 

He was arrested in the early morning on Sept. 17, 2023, when he was pulled over near the I-10 Freeway and County Line Road in Calimesa, prosecutors said. He was being surveilled as part of an investigation into more than a dozen people, conducted a part of Operation Hotline Bling, which is a law enforcement operation to crackdown on the Sinaloa drug trafficking network based in Mexico.

“After a K9 alerted to the presence of narcotics within the vehicle, a search was conducted,” said RSO Captain Rob Roggeveen at the time of the arrest. “Located in the vehicle was (104) pounds of packaged fentanyl pills — M30s. Also located in the vehicle was a loaded handgun.”

Rocha, who had been working at the department’s Banning station since he was hired in 2019, was arrested without incident and resigned from his position with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department immediately following his arrest. 

It’s not clear exactly how long Rocha was being monitored by investigators.

On Thursday, the day after news of Rocha’s sentencing was announced, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco took to social media to further discuss the matter. 

He says that the Riverside County District Attorney objected to Rocha’s plea, contradictory to some media reports. 

“I am telling you that is a flat out lie,” Bianco said. “The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, who investigated this crime and our Riverside County DA’s Office, who prosecuted this crime, adamantly objected to this sentence.”

His sentiment was matched in a statement from a district attorney spokesperson. 

“We did object, on the record in open court, to the defendant making a plea to the court … based on the defendant taking advantage of a position of public trust,” the statement read in part. 

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