Coachella Mayor Arrested In Perjury, Conflict Of Interest Probe

COACHELLA, CA — Coachella Mayor Steven Andrew Hernandez was arrested Tuesday morning on suspicion of a slew of conflict of interest and perjury charges, according to jail records.

Hernandez, 42, was arrested by the Riverside County District Attorney's Office and booked Tuesday at Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.

Booking charges include five felony perjury counts, one felony conflict of interest count, and four misdemeanor conflict of interest counts.

Hernandez's bail was set at $112,500. He is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

Patch reached out to the city and the DA's office for comment. In a released statement to reporters, the city said, "The City is aware of allegations made regarding Coachella Mayor Steven A. Hernandez and the City’s administration is fully cooperating with authorities. There is no additional information available to share at this time."

The DA's office declined to comment but said information will be forthcoming.

Hernandez also serves as chief of staff for Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, and Patch has reached out for comment.

Hernandez has served on the Coachella City Council for nearly 20 years and has been mayor since 2012. His current term is set to expire in December 2026.