Public Safety
Highway 79 crash kills two in Temecula
A head-on collision between a semi-truck and an SUV on Highway 79 near Horizon View Street killed both SUV occupants Thursday afternoon, triggering a Sig Alert and hazmat cleanup.
Public Safety
Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.
Public Safety
Temecula faces rain, thunderstorms Wednesday night
Public Safety
Temecula wind warning brings 55 mph gusts, fire risk
Public Safety
Flood-damaged EVs pose fire risk, Temecula warned
Public Safety
View MoreTropical Storm Rachel brings flood risk, heavy rain to Temecula
Tropical Storm Rachel is forecast to bring 1 to 1.5 inches of rain, wind gusts up to 30 mph and flash flood risks to Temecula from Saturday night through Sunday, with free sandbags available at five local fire stations.
Public Safety
View MoreTemecula shooting suspect faces Oct. 16 arraignment on murder charge
Rashad Kysim Populus, 28, is set for a formal arraignment Oct. 16 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta on first-degree murder and other charges in the shooting death of 30-year-old Temecula resident Shaquilah Howard.
Public Safety
View MoreSex offender pleads guilty to molesting girl in Temecula
Jacob Brian Paulsen, 31, of Perris pleaded guilty to five counts including lewd acts on a minor and sexual battery for assaulting a girl near Chaparral High School and groping a woman at a Temecula mall on the same day in September 2025, with sentencing set for Dec. 16.
Public Safety
View MoreTemecula apartment fire displaces three, damages 14 units
A stove fire on the third floor of a Nicolas Road apartment building in Temecula on Wednesday, Oct. 7, displaced three residents and caused major damage to three units and water damage to 14, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.
Public Safety
View MoreCarancho Fire burns 35 acres west of Temecula, destroys structure
A vegetation fire near De Luz grew to 35 acres Tuesday evening, destroying one structure before firefighters stopped its forward spread and reached 10% containment by 10 p.m.
Public Safety
View MoreParolee faces murder charge in Temecula woman's shooting death
Rashad Kysim Populus, 28, of Los Angeles was arrested on suspicion of murdering Shaquilah Howard, 30, at a Temecula apartment complex on Monday, Oct. 5. Populus had been released on parole Sept. 24 after serving time for assault with a firearm.
Public Safety
View MoreTemecula garage fire spreads to home on Indian Knoll Road
A garage fire in the 36000 block of Indian Knoll Road in Temecula spread to the residence and a 100-by-100-foot area of vegetation Sunday morning; no injuries were reported and the cause remains under investigation.
Public Safety
View MoreTVUSD trustee faces sheriff's probe over alleged listening device
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is investigating TVUSD Board Trustee Melinda Anderson after video from the Sept. 22 board meeting appears to show her placing an object under fellow trustees' desks. Two board members are calling for her resignation and a special meeting.
Public Safety
View MoreTemecula motorcyclist dies in FedEx truck crash on Glen Oaks Road
Arleigh Crisman, 75, of Temecula was killed Wednesday, Sept. 23, when his motorcycle collided with a FedEx delivery truck at Glen Oaks and Bella Vista roads, according to the CHP and the Riverside County coroner.
Public Safety
View MoreTemecula forecast hits 100 degrees Friday as heat wave builds into October
The National Weather Service warns Temecula could see highs at or near 100°F from Friday, Oct. 2, through at least the following week, with record-challenging overnight lows and offshore wind gusts adding fire-weather risk.
Public Safety
View MoreTemecula faces 98-degree heat Saturday and Sunday
The National Weather Service forecasts Temecula highs climbing from the mid-80s to 98 degrees by Saturday, Oct. 3, with overnight lows warm enough to challenge records at valley locations.
Public Safety
View MoreTemecula teacher Vega faces Feb. 2027 child molestation trial
A Riverside County judge set a Feb. 11, 2027, trial date for George Vega, a 58-year-old Vail Elementary teacher charged with three counts of lewd acts on a child under 14, after a status hearing at the Southwest Justice Center.
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