A Riverside County gang member was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a man in 2018 and the attempted murder of three others. The suspect was identified as Alyais Lavante Jahneal Harper, 25, by the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.  On Oct. 15, 2018, Harper and two other gang members met up with the victim and his three friends near Fifth Street and Beaumont Avenue in Beaumont.  “The two groups had a history of bad blood,” police said. “After exchanging words, Harper pulled out a gun and shot Cullors three times.” Harper then turned his attention to the victims ..read more

A massive wildfire is threatening homes in Beaumont Friday afternoon as evacuations were ordered. Named the “Highland Fire,” the flames were reported near South Highland Springs and Breckenridge Avenues shortly before 3 p.m. Crews from Cal Fire and Riverside County Fire Department responded to the area as the blaze has grown to around 225 acres. Evacuations have been ordered for homes on Breckinridge Avenue between Highland Springs Avenue and Sunningdale. Evacuations are also in effect for structures anywhere west of South Highland Home, south of Sun Lakes and east of Highland Springs. Sky5 vi ..read more

Police are searching for a man who allegedly set a woman on fire in Riverside County on Friday. The suspect, Nicholas Norman, 38, from Beaumont, is wanted for attempted murder, according to the Beaumont Police Department. Officers were contacted by a woman who said her friend had been doused with lighter fluid and set on fire by Norman.  The victim was then transported to another home in the 36000 block of Olea Court after the attack, authorities said. Police responded to the home around 7:43 a.m. When they arrived, they found the victim with serious burns on over 30% of her body. She was ..read more

A police pursuit in Beaumont ended in gunfire early Saturday morning, sending three people - including an officer - to a local hospital with wounds and injuries. The pursuit began at about 12:45 a.m. when officers from the Beaumont Police Department tried to pull over a white Ford pickup truck, which then fled, police said in a news release. When the pickup entered a cul-de-sac in the 500 block of Xenia Avenue, the driver tried to escape by ramming police vehicles, prompting officers to open fire, police said. Of the three people in the truck, two were hit by gunfire, which struck the truck's ..read more

A man who was wanted on a felony warrant was fatally shot early Friday by Riverside County Sheriff’s Department deputies and other officers after allegedly ramming into patrol vehicles in Beaumont, officials said. The incident unfolded about 10 p.m. Thursday, when deputies from the Perris station responded to a report of a domestic dispute in the 17000 block of Ridge Canyon Drive in the unincorporated community of Woodcrest. The man was not found at the location, but deputies learned he had a felony warrant for a violation of an assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence, kidnapping, vand ..read more

Slightly cooler weather is helping firefighters make progress against a huge blaze in mountains east of Los Angeles. The wildfire straddling Riverside and San Bernardino counties has consumed about 43 square miles of brush and trees. It’s 30% contained. As of Wednesday evening, four homes had been destroyed, fire officials said. But most residents forced from their homes by the flames have been allowed to return. The blaze, sparked by a malfunctioning vehicle, burned a dozen buildings, including four homes. To the northwest, crews are battling a fast-growing wildfire that’s prompted evacuation ..read more

As a massive pillar of smoke spewed ash and debris over the Inland Empire, Ken Reich found himself in the silent gymnasium of Beaumont High School, a designated evacuation center for the Apple fire. It was Monday morning, and the place was empty, despite orders from law enforcement for nearly 8,000 residents to flee their homes. “This is an unusual situation for us,” the Red Cross spokesman said. “For the first time, we’re setting people up in hotels instead of a shelter, where coronavirus could be a real problem.” With more than 26,000 acres scorched by the growing wildfire, emergency officia ..read more

The Apple Fire burning in the San Bernardino Mountains north of Beaumont was sparked by a vehicle malfunction, authorities announced Monday. Cal Fire investigators determined that a diesel-vehicle emitting burning carbon from the exhaust system malfunctioned, igniting the massive inferno Friday evening. That conclusion was drawn from multiple independent witnesses, as well as corroborating physical evidence, according to a statement from the Riverside County Fire Department. The fire has scorched 26,850 acres – or roughly 42 square miles – as of about 9:30 p.m. Monday, according to an update f ..read more

A Beaumont High School teacher was arrested Wednesday for allegedly having sex with an underage student at the school. Samantha Lee Ciotta is seen in an image provided by the Beaumont Police Department. Samantha Lee Ciotta, 32, was taken into custody following an investigation in which the student told authorities there had been ongoing sexual intercourse between the two for several months, the Beaumont Police Department stated in a news release. Investigators also determined the two had communicated inappropriately through various messaging platforms. Ciotta, who lives in Banning, was placed ..read more

A suspect has been arrested in the package bombing at a church in Beaumont, Texas, as well as a bomb found outside a Starbucks coffee shop that did not detonate, authorities said Friday. Jonathan M. Torres, 40, of Beaumont, was charged Friday with use of an explosive to cause property damage; possession of an unregistered destructive device (improvised destructive device); and mailing a threatening communication, according to court records. Torres’ first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday. CNN is trying to reach a representative for Torres. “Based on what we found inside the suspect’s h ..read more