On Jan. 22, 1991, human remains were found in a wash area at the base of a hill in the area west of Avenue 62 and Madison Street in Thermal. Only bones were found and appeared to have been in the desert for a lengthy amount of time. The subsequent investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department unfortunately produced no leads and the case, believed to be a suspicious death, went cold. Following a forensic genetic genealogy investigation , the remains have beenidentified as Kathryn Coffey of Baldwin Park.

The fourth and final defendant charged by the DA’s Office in the attempted robbery of a Norco convenience store has now made his first court appearance.

The judgment in this civil lawsuit is the result of an investigation into the unlawful disposal of hazardous waste over the last several years at its eight California hotels. There is one Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riverside County, that being in Rancho Mirage.

Jesse Leal Rodriguez, 35, entered into a plea agreement with the DA’s Office, pleading guilty to three counts of assault with a deadly weapon – one for each victim.