It was 2015, and Zapata — a slim 24-year-old who stood 5-foot-9 and weighed about 180 pounds — had never been locked up before. His new cellmates told him they’d spent years cycling through some of the state’s toughest prisons. As they bragged about people they’d killed with knives, Zapata tried to hide how hard his heart was pounding.

“Your life is in their hands,” Zapata told CalMatters in a recent interview. “In that kind of environment, anything can happen to you. Not everybody makes it out. You have to do whatever it takes to survive.”

When the men pressed him about why he was in custody, Zapata tried to dodge the questions and insisted he was innocent. But as the hours dragged on, they accused him of disrespecting them by refusing to talk. Eventually, they threatened him with what’s known in jailhouse slang as a “calentada” — a beating or stabbing.

Three months later, Zapata learned the whole encounter had been staged. His cellmates were undercover operatives trying to extract information about an unsolved killing from the year before. It was what law enforcement calls a “Perkins operation” — a controversial tactic in which an officer or civilian informant poses as a fellow inmate to coax incriminating statements out of a suspect.

Perkins operations are widely used across California and have helped secure hundreds of murder convictions. Prosecutors describe them as a powerful investigative tool that can both solve crimes and clear the innocent. The tactic is so entrenched that law enforcement officials in Riverside County — a hub for these operations — routinely teach other agencies how to run them at conferences statewide.

But the practice is drawing increasing scrutiny from judges, legal scholars and defense attorneys, who argue it is coercive, risks producing false confessions, and disproportionately targets Black and Latino suspects.

A CalMatters review of cases in Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and Santa Clara counties found that Perkins operations have involved fabricated evidence, recording devices hidden inside jail cells, and cash payments to undercover operatives — known as Perkins agents — of up to $3,000 a day. Court records frequently describe these agents as older and physically larger than the people they’re targeting, often posing as seasoned gang members with histories of violence. In some cases, as many as five operatives have been placed in a cell with a single suspect.

“It’s psychological warfare,” said Michelle Luna Reynoso, a San Diego criminal defense attorney. “How is this not considered cruel and unusual punishment?”

‘It could happen to anyone’

Zapata grew up in a middle-class neighborhood in Hawthorne, sharing a two-bedroom rental apartment with his parents and older sister. His father worked at Ford, his mother at Verizon. He loved his mom’s home cooking, skateboarding with friends near Venice Beach, and blasting Metallica and Tupac.

At 15, Zapata says he was the victim of a violent crime, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and shot multiple times. His family relocated to Temecula soon after. Their new two-story home, complete with a pool and a palm tree in the backyard, felt like a fresh start far from the old neighborhood. After high school, Zapata enrolled at a community college in San Diego, taking classes in law, business and auto mechanics. He later worked at a Mexican restaurant and bar and ran an eBay store selling electronics. Then, suddenly, he was in jail.

The two Perkins agents zeroed in on Zapata after a 15-year-old friend of the victim accused him of the 2014 killing. At the time, she was in custody on an unrelated matter and looking to cut a deal. She later admitted her statements weren’t true, according to court records.

Zapata repeatedly denied any involvement. But when the undercover agents began threatening him, he grew afraid of what might happen and told them what they wanted to hear. Still, he insists he never directly confessed to the killing.

A judge set his bail at $1 million. The case took roughly eight years to reach trial. When it finally did, prosecutors argued that his statements to the Perkins agents amounted to a confession. The jury agreed. In January 2024, Zapata was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

“It was heartbreaking to hear the verdict,” Zapata said. “It could happen to anyone.”

Earlier this year, California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal overturned Zapata’s conviction, ruling that law enforcement violated his rights during the Perkins operation.

The decision, which granted Zapata a new trial, could have far-reaching consequences for similar cases. At least 10 Perkins-related appeals are currently pending before the California Supreme Court. Of those defendants, four are Latino, four are Black and two are white. The youngest was 18 at the time of the operation targeting him.

Many of these cases raise similar legal questions. Some defendants argue that Perkins agents talked them into waiving their Miranda rights — the right to remain silent or consult an attorney before formal police questioning. Others argue that agents coerced incriminating statements out of them after they had already invoked those rights.

A Miranda loophole

Perkins operations are defined largely by their timing: they typically occur after an arrest but before formal charges are filed. That window matters because once charges are filed, Sixth Amendment protections kick in, barring further questioning without an attorney present.

Fifth Amendment protections, including Miranda rights, are meant to ensure suspects aren’t interrogated in custody without being warned first. Those protections stem from the landmark 1966 U.S. Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona and are designed to prevent coercion in a police-dominated setting. Once invoked, all questioning is supposed to stop.

But roughly two decades later, the nation’s high court ruled that statements made during a Perkins-style operation are considered voluntary — meaning Miranda simply doesn’t apply.

That 1990 ruling grew out of the case of Lloyd Perkins, who was placed in an Illinois jail cell with an undercover officer and a jailhouse informant. The two drew him into a fake escape plot. While plotting the supposed breakout, they asked if he’d ever committed a crime. Perkins responded by implicating himself in a years-old murder. He later argued the statement shouldn’t have been admissible because he was never read his Miranda rights beforehand.

In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court disagreed, reasoning that as long as a suspect doesn’t know he’s speaking with a government agent, the coercive pressures of custodial interrogation don’t exist.

“When a suspect considers himself to be among cellmates and not officers, the coercive atmosphere is lacking,” former Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion. “Miranda forbids coercion, not mere strategic deception by taking advantage of a suspect’s misplaced trust in one he supposes to be a fellow prisoner.”

Alexandra Natapoff, a Harvard Law School professor and one of the nation’s leading experts on confidential informants, said the ruling opened a significant gap in Miranda protections.

“Perkins operations are attempts by law enforcement to exploit a legal loophole to obtain confessions using informants, without the requirement of establishing that the suspect is actually being interrogated — in other words, without being pressured in a police-dominated environment to confess,” she said.

Natapoff said the broader use of jailhouse informants, and Perkins operations specifically, are coercive, dehumanizing and lack transparency.

“Perhaps the best-known problem with using informants — well known because it generates the most litigation — is their unreliability,” she said. “We know people falsely confess to crimes they didn’t commit because they feel the need to look tough, brag, or protect themselves from cellmates.”

But Greg Totten, chief executive of the California District Attorneys Association, said prosecutors weigh such statements within the context of the entire case.

“We look for corroboration, when we can find it, to make sure statements are inherently accurate and solid. We meet our obligation,” he said. “In the justice system, we have a responsibility not only to secure convictions, but also to protect innocent people from being prosecuted.”

‘They wouldn’t stop questioning me’

According to court records, the two Perkins agents investigating Zapata’s case shared a cell with him for a total of three hours and 20 minutes. The cell was monitored electronically in real time by James Dickey, an investigator with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

After roughly an hour without any breakthrough on the murder, Dickey pulled Zapata out of the cell and took him upstairs for a lineup, where witnesses view a series of individuals to determine whether any of them match a suspect. Back in the cell, Dickey falsely told Zapata that someone had identified him as the shooter.

According to court records, Dickey then asked Zapata if he wanted to talk about the murder. Zapata invoked his right to an attorney, saying he wouldn’t speak without one present.

When Dickey returned Zapata to the cell, he told him he would be charged with murder, then shut the cell door and walked away. No attorney was ever provided.

Dickey’s ploy was the first of at least three “bump” tactics law enforcement used against Zapata, according to court records. Because incarcerated people are often reluctant to openly discuss their charges, these tactics are designed to prompt conversation by introducing new information — fabricated DNA results, staged lineups, or surveillance footage — that officers like Dickey present to suspects, hoping they’ll unknowingly discuss the case with who they believe is a fellow inmate.

Iris Blandón-Gitlin, a psychology professor at Cal State Fullerton who studies Perkins operations, said the fake-evidence tactic is “a very dangerous technique” because it risks coercion, false confessions and misinformation.

“It manipulates people’s sense of reality,” she said. “And that’s why they believe it. They don’t understand it, but they believe it, and therefore they decide to confess, even if it’s a lie.”

According to court records, once the Perkins agents heard Dickey tell Zapata he’d be charged with murder, they immediately began bombarding him with questions.

“They wouldn’t stop questioning me,” Zapata testified at trial.

Zapata kept denying involvement, but according to trial transcripts reviewed by CalMatters, the agents told him they didn’t believe him and accused him of disrespecting them by withholding details. That’s when, Zapata said, they began threatening him with a beating.

“I had no doubt that I was in imminent danger… At that point I kept lying and saying what I said,” Zapata testified. “I wouldn’t have said what I said if it weren’t for the threats.”

When Dickey took the stand, he described what he observed from elsewhere in the jail, where he was watching a live feed of the operation.

“The atmosphere was positive,” he said. “I didn’t observe any aggressive or threatening behavior.”

But large portions of the recording were inaudible.

“In my opinion, this is a very poor-quality recording,” said Riverside County Superior Court Judge John Davis, who ultimately allowed portions of the tape to be admitted as evidence.

Hundreds of convictions

Zapata’s case unfolded roughly a year after Riverside County conducted its first Perkins operation. Since then, Dickey and others in the county’s law enforcement community have traveled the state training other agencies in the tactic.

In 2024, Dickey and Riverside County Deputy District Attorney David Tahan gave a presentation at a homicide symposium hosted by the Association of Deputy District Attorneys in Santa Rosa. Beyond their official titles, they identified themselves as their agencies’ “Perkins coordinators” and said they had conducted hundreds of operations across California.

CalMatters obtained the slide presentation through a California Public Records Act request filed by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, which attended the symposium. That office initially declined to release the document, agreeing to do so only after attorneys from the law firm Covington & Burling sent demand letters on CalMatters’ behalf.

The 66-slide presentation showed that Riverside County conducted its first Perkins operation in 2014. Its program — which Dickey and Tahan described as “a statewide model” — runs multiple operations each week, roughly half of them on behalf of unnamed outside agencies. More than half of the operations involve gang-related homicides, according to the presentation.

Dickey and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department declined CalMatters’ request for an interview. Tahan and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to multiple interview requests.

The presentation included tips on recruiting operatives, scheduling arrests, and what Dickey and Tahan called “formulas for success.” They outlined the typical stages of an operation, beginning with planning meetings and recorded pre-briefings, followed by the operation itself, rehearsals, an interview, and a recorded post-operation debriefing. The process wraps up with “reporting and evidence review.”

Dickey and Tahan said Riverside County’s Perkins program was modeled after similar programs developed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and District Attorney’s Office, where such operations are especially common.

Public records obtained by CalMatters attorneys show the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office established uniform procedures for Perkins operations in February 2017. Former Assistant District Attorney John Spillane rolled out the new guidelines through a special directive requiring deputy district attorneys to complete filing checklists, pretrial discovery checklists and case-closing checklists for every Perkins operation.

Court records from a case pending before the California Supreme Court this year show that 85 of 400 Perkins-related murder convictions in Los Angeles County occurred after the suspect had invoked Miranda rights. That count reflects just one unit within the office, suggesting the actual number is likely far higher, according to the records.

“These operations generate conviction after conviction,” said Scott Sanders, a criminal defense attorney who exposed the illegal use of jailhouse informants in Orange County more than a decade ago. “It’s fertile ground for misconduct. These cases will reach the Supreme Court because it’s a fundamental question about how far law enforcement can go with these operations… These are the kinds of boundaries you’d think would be off-limits.”

A cellmate the size of a linebacker

The 10 pending Perkins-related petitions before the California Supreme Court come from San Diego, Riverside and Los Angeles counties. The oldest dates back to 2014.

One case involves Michael Goehner, who was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 48 years for murder in March 2024. Goehner, who is white, has maintained his innocence since his arrest in August 2021, when he was 25. In his petition, he alleged that two Perkins agents repeatedly discouraged him from speaking with an attorney and instead coached him to claim self-defense when talking with authorities.

In another case, David Allen, who is Black, was arrested on suspicion of murder in 2016 in Los Angeles County when he was 28. During questioning, officers falsely told him they had clear evidence of his guilt, which Allen repeatedly denied.

After invoking his right to remain silent four times, court records show detectives illegally continued questioning him anyway. They told him he’d never see his daughter again “because he refused to tell the truth,” according to court documents. He eventually admitted to acting as a lookout during the shooting. But a prosecutor later told detectives his statement couldn’t be used at trial unless they could get Allen to repeat it to an undercover officer.

Three days later, Allen found himself in a cell with a man who identified himself as a gang member. Allen was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison after making incriminating statements to the Perkins agent. In a petition before the California Supreme Court, he argued his Fifth Amendment and federal due process rights were violated and asked that his conviction be overturned.

“By deliberately creating a coercive jail environment and inserting a large, gang-affiliated cellmate to induce the appellant into an incriminating conversation, law enforcement did exactly what these cases prohibit: they used deception and an intermediary to circumvent an already-invoked constitutional protection,” Allen’s attorney wrote in the petition.

The California District Attorneys Association and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office argued that Allen’s statements were voluntary and said Perkins operations benefit both prosecutors and defendants. In court filings, the office said such operations are “vital to the truth-seeking process” within its Conviction Review Unit, which examines innocence claims. Since that unit was created in 2015, the office has said roughly a third of its 16 exonerations stemmed from Perkins operations.

“In each of these cases, evidence obtained from Perkins operations completely demonstrated the innocence of the convicted defendant,” attorneys wrote. “These innocent people would not have been exonerated were it not for Perkins operations.”

But Jasmin Harris, policy director for the California Innocence Coalition, said the office has overstated the “success” of Perkins operations.

“It’s a stretch — one step too far — to claim this is some kind of tool when, really, they’re only using it to feel better about overturning a conviction after the petitioner has already met the legal burden,” she said. “We don’t believe deception should be used, either before or after a conviction.”

Racial disparities in who’s targeted

The California Public Defenders Association and the American Civil Liberties Union have urged the California Supreme Court to closely examine this highly coordinated police practice, arguing it produces extreme racial disparities

Original source: CalMatters

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    While neither the tribe nor seller Kelly Roberts disclosed financial details when the sale was announced in early May, county transaction records indicate the deal was finalized on May 28. The acquisition adds the Mission Inn to a growing collection of hospitality properties owned by the tribe through its San Manuel Investment Authority.

    The estimated purchase price was confirmed through filings reviewed by the Riverside County Assessor-Clerk Recorder’s Office. The transactions were completed through entities controlled by Roberts, a former Orange County resident and billionaire businesswoman.

    “The sale price is within $1,000 of the actual price,” said Melissa Garcia, chief deputy assessor-clerk recorder for Riverside County.

    County officials noted that the final valuation could be refined in the coming months as additional documentation is reviewed and processed to establish the complete chain of title and updated property assessments.

    “This could take a few months,” Garcia said.

    Records show the sale involved several separate properties. One transaction transferred ownership of the 238-room Mission Inn itself, while another included the adjacent parking structure located between Fifth and Sixth streets and bounded by Main and Orange streets. The deal also encompassed a vacant parcel and annex building that houses a bookstore along with offices for the Mission Inn Foundation and Museum.

    Based on transfer taxes and associated fees filed with the county, the hotel property accounted for roughly $29.23 million of the total sale price. The garage, vacant land and annex building were valued at approximately $3.68 million.

    Those figures were derived using documentary transfer taxes and local city taxes assessed during the transfer of ownership, according to county officials.

    A separate filing documented the transfer of the property’s alcoholic beverage license. The license was sold for $331,394.16 to Mission Inn Riverside BevCo LLC, a limited liability company operated by the San Manuel Nation.

    The filings were submitted by Historic Mission Inn Corp. and Mission District Associates LLC, both controlled by Roberts. County records identify attorney Patrick O’Brien as the designated agent authorized to receive legal notices and government correspondence on behalf of those entities.

    The buyer was listed as Mission Inn Riverside LLC, a company established by the tribe on April 24. Corporate filings with the California Secretary of State show the entity was created specifically to facilitate the purchase of the downtown Riverside properties.

    “The San Manuel Investment Authority is continuing to abide by the confidentiality of the agreement and aren’t able to provide additional comment,” said San Manuel spokesman Kenneth Shoji.

    Representatives for Roberts and her attorney did not respond to requests seeking additional comment regarding the transaction.

    Officials with the Riverside County Assessor-Clerk Recorder’s Office cautioned that large-scale property transactions often involve multiple documents and filings, meaning additional records connected to the sale could still emerge.

    “It is important to note that large or complex property transfers may be recorded through multiple documents,” said county spokesman Steven Nguyen. “As a result, the information reflected in any single recorded document may represent only one portion of the overall transaction.”

    The sale marks the end of an era for the Roberts family, which played a pivotal role in preserving the iconic Riverside landmark.

    Duane and Kelly Roberts became closely associated with the Mission Inn after stepping in to save the property from an uncertain future. The hotel had closed during the mid-1980s and passed through several owners before Duane Roberts purchased it in 1992 for $15.6 million.

    Before that acquisition, the Riverside Redevelopment Agency had purchased the property in 1976 and later sold it to Carley Capital Group in 1985. Carley launched a major restoration effort but filed for bankruptcy in 1988. According to a previous Press-Enterprise report, Chemical Bank and the redevelopment agency ultimately completed the $50 million renovation project before Roberts took ownership.

    Duane Roberts, widely credited with helping spark the revitalization of downtown Riverside through the reopening of the Mission Inn, passed away on Nov. 1, 2025.

    When the sale was announced earlier this year, Kelly Roberts said she planned to relocate to Palm Beach, Florida, as she entered a new chapter in life. Florida remains a popular destination for wealthy residents because it does not impose state income taxes, estate taxes or luxury taxes on qualifying residents.

    For the San Manuel Nation, the acquisition continues a decades-long strategy of expanding beyond gaming and diversifying its investment portfolio.

    The tribe began broadening its holdings in the early 2000s with investments in the Four Fires Residence Inn by Marriott in Washington, D.C., and the Three Fires Residence Inn in downtown Sacramento.

    In 2021, the tribe made headlines with its $650 million purchase of the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, marking a significant expansion of its gaming interests beyond California.

    Its hospitality portfolio also includes the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club in Dana Point, the Bear Springs Hotel in Highland, and The Draftsman hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia.

    The tribe further expanded its real estate holdings in 2016 with the acquisition of the historic Arrowhead Springs Hotel property in San Bernardino’s Waterman Canyon from Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, which had owned the 1,900-acre site since 1962.

    With the addition of the Mission Inn, one of Southern California’s most recognizable historic landmarks now joins an expanding portfolio of hospitality properties owned and operated by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation.

Source: Riverside County Assessor-Clerk Recorder records; statements from Melissa Garcia, Steven Nguyen, Kenneth Shoji; Southern California News Group reporting.

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    The report, obtained through the city’s public records system, details allegations against former senior code enforcement officers Mark Ilagan and Mark Hernandez. Investigators found evidence suggesting the pair may have engaged in improper conduct ranging from unauthorized property seizures and unlawful entry onto private property to confrontational encounters with vendors and residents.

    According to the investigation, much of the alleged misconduct appeared to be directed toward individuals who were Latino or Asian, did not primarily speak English, or may have lacked legal immigration status. The report noted that such individuals are often less likely to report mistreatment due to fears of retaliation or concerns about interacting with government agencies.

    Investigators also criticized city supervisors for failing to adequately address complaints raised by a subordinate who repeatedly questioned the officers’ actions. The employee later alleged she experienced retaliation after bringing concerns forward through official channels.

    The report concluded that the conduct of the officers and their supervisors exposed Riverside to significant legal liability while undermining public trust in city government.

    None of the individuals named in the investigation remain employed by the City of Riverside. Hernandez could not be reached for comment. Ilagan, who now works for the City of Chino, denied the allegations. Former Community and Economic Development Director Jennifer Lilley told the Los Angeles Times that portions of the report lacked context and contained inaccuracies.

    Several current and former employees described Ilagan and Hernandez as working closely together and often responding to calls as a team. Witnesses told investigators the pair frequently adopted tactics that blurred the line between code enforcement and law enforcement.

    Unlike police officers, code enforcement personnel do not have arrest powers, cannot carry firearms, and generally have limited authority to seize property. However, investigators found evidence that the two officers routinely pursued street vendors on foot, blocked vehicles from leaving, and confiscated merchandise and equipment beyond what regulations permitted.

    The report describes what investigators called a long-running pattern of unauthorized property seizures. Vendors allegedly had merchandise taken without receiving receipts, making it nearly impossible to recover their belongings. Several employees stated that confiscated items were stored in City Hall offices and included products commonly sold by vendors such as flowers, toys, hats, and novelty items.

    Investigators also documented multiple incidents involving physical confrontations. During Riverside’s Festival of Lights celebration in 2023, officers reportedly attempted to seize a vendor’s cart while the owners were briefly away making a sale. When the couple returned, a confrontation followed that drew a crowd and eventually required police intervention.

    In another incident during Fourth of July enforcement operations in 2024, a dispute involving a taco vendor escalated into a physical struggle. Witnesses alleged one officer used a wrist-lock technique during the confrontation before police arrived at the scene.

    The report further alleges that the officers sometimes entered or facilitated entry into properties under questionable circumstances. In one case, officers reportedly requested police assistance to force entry into a residence believed to be occupied despite ongoing probate and eviction proceedings. Another incident involved allegations that officers misrepresented the status of properties to law enforcement in order to have residents removed.

    Investigators concluded that the officers repeatedly sought to project the image and authority of sworn police officers. The report notes they favored tactical-style gear, advocated for police-style identification, and pushed for equipment that would make code enforcement officers appear more like law enforcement personnel.

    Some city employees expressed concern that such efforts increased risks for both officers and the public. The investigator warned that encouraging code enforcement staff to appear police-like could create confusion and expose the city to significant liability.

    The investigation also examined workplace culture within the department. Several findings pointed to a hostile work environment, including allegations of inappropriate behavior, retaliation against employees who raised concerns, and failures by supervisors to properly investigate complaints.

    A former code enforcement officer who reported the alleged misconduct told investigators she repeatedly warned management about what she believed were unlawful actions involving vendors and residents. According to the report, her concerns were largely dismissed, and after escalating her complaints, she was later identified as the source and publicly escorted from City Hall shortly before leaving her position.

    The investigator concluded that the city’s response to the complaints sent a troubling message to other employees and may have discouraged future reporting of misconduct.

    The report was submitted to city officials in August 2025. It remains unclear what actions, if any, were taken afterward. City leaders declined to discuss personnel matters when contacted by the Los Angeles Times.

    The Los Angeles Times first reported on the investigative findings after obtaining the report through Riverside’s public records portal.

Credit: Original reporting and source material from the Los Angeles Times.

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A small group of Republican state lawmakers considered vulnerable by Democrats has drawn multiple challengers, setting up races that could help determine the balance of power in Sacramento after November. Under California’s top-two primary system, the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party.

Democratic candidates in swing districts are hoping President Donald Trump’s declining popularity in California, along with voter reaction to his policies on tariffs, immigration enforcement and the war in Iran, will create problems for Republican incumbents. GOP lawmakers, meanwhile, have sought to avoid making Trump the focus of their campaigns while still holding support from the party’s pro-Trump base.

One of the Inland Empire’s most closely watched races is in Riverside County, where Assemblymember Leticia Castillo, a Corona Republican, is expected to face a rematch with Riverside City Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes, a Democrat. Cervantes narrowly lost to Castillo two years ago after raising substantial campaign funds. Tuesday’s results could provide a preview of how competitive their November contest may be.

In the Coachella Valley, Republican Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez of Coachella is being challenged by three Democrats. Gonzalez has taken a more moderate position on immigration than many of his Republican colleagues, a stance that could be tested in a district where Democrats see an opportunity.

Similar dynamics are playing out in other purple districts across the state, from northern Sacramento County to Orange County, where Republican incumbents are trying to hold off Democratic efforts to flip seats.

Democrats are also defending seats in Southern California. In San Diego County, Sen. Catherine Blakespear, an Encinitas Democrat, faces Republican Laura Bassett in a district expected to be competitive.

Elsewhere in the state, heavily Democratic areas are featuring crowded intraparty contests for open seats. In the coastal district that includes Malibu and Santa Monica, several Democrats are competing to replace Sen. Ben Allen, who is running for state insurance commissioner. In Los Angeles, a five-way race to succeed Assemblymember Mike Gipson, who is leaving office because of term limits, has divided major labor unions and Democratic organizations.

San Diego County also has a Republican contest that may signal where the state party is headed. The race to replace GOP Sen. Brian Jones, who is termed out, has become a fight between two wings of the party: a more moderate San Marcos city councilmember backed by Jones and a far-right conservative contender.

Together, the results will offer an early measure of how much national politics may shape California’s legislative races — and whether Democrats can turn concerns about Trump into gains in competitive districts across Southern California and beyond.

Original source: CalMatters

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The VotingMatters series was designed to help voters sort through a primary that includes nine statewide offices, 61 candidates for governor and redrawn congressional districts. Over the month, CalMatters held 17 events with about 30 local partners, drawing more than 600 participants from Vallejo to Riverside.

The events used CalMatters’ 2026 voter guide, videos of gubernatorial candidates answering questions and printed “Choose your next governor” zines to prompt conversations among voters. CalMatters partnerships director Dan Hu traveled roughly 3,000 miles during the effort.

In Southern California, events were held in Montecito, Camarillo, Los Angeles and Riverside. The Riverside gathering brought together as many as six partner organizations, including Mindful Media Makers, which featured its puppet character Panchito in an interview with Hu.

Organizers said the goal was not to tell residents how to vote, but to give them reliable information and a setting where they could discuss issues with neighbors. At several events, attendees watched video clips of leading gubernatorial candidates before discussing what they heard in small groups.

At a Montecito event co-hosted by Noozhawk, Santa Barbara resident Marty Conoley said the candidate videos were more useful to him than televised debates, which he said often became dominated by attacks. He said the videos should be shown on television in prime time without interruption.

Celeste Barber, who also attended the Montecito event, said her table included six strangers who avoided partisan arguments and instead focused on issues. She said that kind of exchange reflected what she believes civic engagement should look like.

The statewide tour also included Central Valley stops in Modesto, Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield, where events were held at bars, community colleges and other gathering places. In Modesto, about 100 people attended a program at Contentment Brewing Company, co-hosted by The Modesto Focus, where participants played state and local political trivia before discussing the governor’s race.

Attendees across the events included election workers, business owners and college students preparing to vote in their first midterm election. At the Camarillo event, some participants who had not known one another before the discussion exchanged contact information afterward.

CalMatters also provided materials in Spanish. In Bakersfield, Merced and Modesto, attendees picked up stacks of Spanish-language voter guide zines to share with students, relatives and friends.

The VotingMatters events were organized with local news outlets, nonprofits, churches, county registrar offices, League of Women Voters chapters and the California State Library. In Yolo County, Abridged from PBS KVIE used the series for its first event there as it works to expand local coverage.

CalMatters also made a VotingMatters event kit available for people who wanted to host their own gatherings. Members in Petaluma and Long Beach organized small groups of more than 10 people to review ballots and the voter guide. One Long Beach attendee described the gathering as the kind of community event that democracy should encourage.

CalMatters said VotingMatters will return for the 2026 general election.

Original source: CalMatters

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    Police identified the suspect as Toai Pham, who detectives say was taken into custody on May 8 at a local driving range. After being booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center, Pham was later released and is expected to appear in court on June 23 at the Riverside Superior Courthouse.

    Investigators believe there could be additional victims who have not yet contacted authorities. Riverside Police Detective Steven Espinosa said detectives are encouraging anyone who may have encountered Pham, or someone matching his description, around the Mt. Rubidoux area to come forward.

    “If you have seen Pham or someone with a similar description approaching women around the area of Mt. Rubidoux, we encourage you to come forward,” Espinosa said.

    The investigation began after a woman contacted the department’s Public Safety Communications Center on the morning of March 9 at approximately 8:30 a.m. to report that she had been sexually battered while hiking in the Mt. Rubidoux area.

    According to investigators, detectives later learned that Pham regularly hikes Mt. Rubidoux during the morning hours.

    Police said the victim told investigators that Pham approached her during the hike and allegedly touched her inappropriately without consent.

    Anyone with information related to the investigation is being asked to contact Officer James Payne at (951) 353-7113 or by email at JPayne@RiversideCA.gov.

    Anonymous tips may also be submitted through the Riverside Police Department’s “Atlas 1” mobile app using the department’s secure “Send a Message” feature, which is available on both Apple and Android devices, authorities said.

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“Directing Change gives young people the opportunity to speak openly, support one another and help shape school communities where every student feels valued, understood and encouraged to reach out for help,” Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez said. “Recognizing our students for expanding mental health awareness is a meaningful opportunity to show how much we value their powerful insights and inspiring creativity.”

Selected entries from the 2026 contest will be shown after a Red Carpet arrival, beginning shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Fox Performing Arts Center in downtown Riverside.

The competition is held annually as part of the “Youth Creating Change” program. Students are invited to produce vignettes, comparable to public service announcements, that are 30 to 60 seconds long.

A total 213 entries from two dozen schools and nonprofit organizations countywide were submitted this year, according to the Riverside University Health System, which sponsors the contests.

“Supporting the well-being of Riverside County’s young people is one of the most meaningful investments we can make in our future,” Board of Supervisors Chair Karen Spiegel said. “Directing Change gives students a powerful platform to share their voices, uplift one another and inspire change through creativity and compassion. These films reflect the insight, courage and heart of our youth, reminding us that honest conversations build stronger schools, healthier communities and a hopeful future.”

Along with the regular categories focused on suicide prevention and mental health awareness, this year’s event established two additional categories — substance abuse and Boys & Young Men Media Challenge — according to RUHS.

“By encouraging honest storytelling and peer connection, the program helps foster empathy, awareness and a culture of care among youth,” the agency stated.

The event is slated to conclude about 8 p.m. Wednesday.

More information is available at hopeandjustice.art/riversidecounty.

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Angel Baby Cruz of Riverside was arrested last year following a California Highway Patrol investigation into the deadly wreck.

At the end of a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Hollenhorst found there was sufficient evidence to bound Cruz over for trial on the murder count, along with a sentence-enhancing allegation of committing a felony offense while on bail.

The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for May 27 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Cruz remains held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.

According to the CHP, shortly before 5 a.m. April 26, 2025, the defendant was at the wheel of a Mercedes 300 going westbound on the 60 when the sedan went out of control and slammed into the center divider wall between La Rue Street and Rubidoux Boulevard.

“The vehicle then went across all lanes and struck a tree,” Officer Javier Navarro said. “The vehicle became fully engulfed by fire.”

Good Samaritans stopped and went to help Cruz and his front-seat passenger, a young man identified in court documents only as “D.G.”

Navarro said they managed to pull Cruz to safety but couldn’t get to the victim, who was unconscious, before the Mercedes was consumed by the blaze.

“After the Riverside County Fire Department put out the flames, the body was located in the front seat,” the CHP spokesman said.

No one else had been in the car. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Cruz underwent treatment at a Riverside hospital for unspecified minor injuries, at which point he was also determined to be intoxicated, Navarro alleged.

The defendant was formally taken into custody without incident. After a brief hospitalization, he was cleared for booking into the downtown Riverside jail.

Cruz has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County. There were no details available concerning the circumstances of his prior arrest, or how long he had been on bond leading up to the fatal crash.

The post Trial Ordered For 20-Year-Old Man Charged With Murder In Jurupa Valley DUI Death appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

According to the Riverside Police Department, a teenage girl was in the area of Market and Sixth streets, near the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, when an unknown man physically assaulted her, possibly inflicting injuries, shortly after 3 a.m. on April 25.

The circumstances were unclear.

Witnesses who were not acquainted with either party called 911, but when patrol officers reached the location, “They learned the parties involved had left the area prior to police contact, and no identifying information was provided,” police Lt. Steve Espinosa said.

“Officers obtained surveillance footage from a nearby business and gathered witness statements,” Espinosa said. “The suspect was identified as an adult male seen in the area at the time of the incident.”

Still-frame video images circulated by investigators did not clearly depict the individual, showing him only as a light-skinned Hispanic or Caucasian man with facial hair and partially bald. His dark-colored tank-top shirt appeared to have been torn open in the picture.

Detectives want to interview the victim, but her identity, too, is a mystery, according to Espinosa.

Her friends and family, or anyone who may have been in the downtown area during the predawn hours of April 25 and who spotted anything unusual in the vicinity of where the attack occurred, was asked to come forward.

Espinosa can be reached at 951-826-5959. Alternately, police dispatch is available at 951-354-2007.

The post Police Searching For Victim, Assailant In RivCo Attack appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The Sunday social is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. on May 17 in the museum’s Heritage House, 8193 Magnolia Ave.

The museum described the event as “a sweet afternoon that pairs 250 years of American history with one of Riverside’s favorite traditions: the old- fashioned ice cream social.”

The U.S. will officially turn 250 on July 4th, the date on which the Declaration of Independence was formally recognized in 1776. The instrument was then publicized and circulated far and wide, while war with Great Britain intensified.

The Museum of Riverside is among a variety of organizations throughout Riverside County hosting different functions ahead of the Fourth of July to mark the “Semiquincentennial.”

“This free family-friendly event will include live music, crafts, games, house tours and, of course, plenty of ice cream,” the museum stated.

Thrifty Ice Cream will be providing the treats, without charge, according to officials.

They said that one of the “surprise additions” is the red, white and blue sherbet.

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