Investigation Into Death Threats Ongoing

Investigation into Death Threats Against Palm Desert Mayor Continues

PALM DESERT — In August, the controversial Quintanilla received two death threats via the U.S. Post Office, both on the same day, addressed to her at City Hall.

“You worthless far left piece of (expletive)! WE WANT YOU DEAD!” and “We hope somebody bashes your head in,” was written on one of the notes.

The notes arrived several days after Quintanilla used her personal social media account to criticize a Republican-run store on El Paseo, the city’s mile-long shopping street known as the Rodeo Drive of the Desert.

Unofficial vote totals show her winning re-election over her challenger Chris Scott.

The election is over and Quintanilla is still alive. Is that the end of the story?

“The investigation is ongoing and will continue until all leads are exhausted or the suspect is identified and taken into custody,

Lt. Deirdre Vickers, Public Information Officer, told Uken Report. “The election status does not determine the process of the investigation.”

While rare in the desert, more than 40% of state legislators surveyed reported being threatened or attacked in the past three years, according to Time. Nearly 90% said they had suffered less severe abuse, including harassment, intimidation, and stalking. Almost 40% of local officials, including 50% of women, said the ongoing harassment made them less willing to run for re-election or to seek higher office. This tally includes many state and local election officials, who in 2020 bore the brunt of the anger of former President Donald Trump’s supporters, who falsely accused them of rigging that race and subsequently hounded many out of office. The resulting turnover means that more than 1 in 5 election administrators will be doing the job for the first time in 2024, according to the Brennan Center’s data.

For now, the city of Palm Desert awaits justice,