Month: October 2025

Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local family could use community support as they battle a toddler’s cancer diagnosis.

Three-year-old Emiliano Mendoza has been going through chemo at the Children’s Hospital in Phoenix. The Mendoza family has been going through a hardship trying to keep up with family, medical, and travel expenses.

Mendoza’s cousin, Isabel Rodriguez, says any community prayers and support helps.

“Through this situation like even just prayers or just keep them in your thoughts,” said cousin Isabel Rodriguez. “The family- they’ve been trying to stay closer than ever. They’re just driven together at this moment because it’s one of the most hardest times they face in their lives.”

The family created a GoFundMe to help with all around expenses like medical and travel. If you would like to help support, you can find the GoFundMe link here.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Community leaders came together Friday for the annual Arizona Southwest Town Hall.

Local business leaders, educators, and students gathered at Arizona Western College in Yuma to discuss workforce development and how it aligns with industry needs with future careers.

Leaders discussed how to develop skills in people through internships and education and encourage people to stay in field locally.

“The community came together to talk about workforce development,” said co-chair of Southwest Arizona Town Hall Shelley Mellon. “How that aligns with the industry needs with future careers and how we create that pipeline through the education system, so students know the possibilities and the opportunities that they have within our community to hopefully develop additional internships and job opportunities for our students.”

The report from this session will go to Arizona town hall and legislators across the state. The event happens every year in October.

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Dillon Fuhrman

WINTERHAVEN, Calif. (KYMA) – The Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) says an investigation is underway after deputies found two people dead.

According to a press release, they responded to the area of Railroad Avenue and E Street Friday at around 6:30 p.m.

Upon arrival, ICSO says deputies found two men dead after suffering from “apparent gunshot wounds,” with the ICSO’s Investigations Unit, with support from the Scientific Investigations Unit and the Coroner’s Office, initiating an investigation.

ICSO says this is being treated as a “suspicious death investigation,” with preliminary findings indicating “there are no outstanding suspects” and there is no threat to the community.

The investigation is ongoing. If anyone has information regarding the case, call (442) 265-2052.

Winterhaven Press ReleaseDownload

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) hosted the annual Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods (G.A.I.N.) event Saturday.

The event, in collaboration with Target, was held by “police agencies statewide to join forces and promote awareness, safety, and neighborhood unity” as October is Crime Prevention Month.

Police, fire and military agencies across the state as well as local organizations and non-profits also participated in the event.

There was free drinks, hot dogs, chips and face painting during the event.

The event took place at the Target store parking lot, located in the Yuma Palms Regional Center, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Sunday, October 12 is National Farmers Day.

Farmers here in Yuma help feed not only our county, but also most of the country during winter months.

In the toughest conditions, they work tirelessly to help maintain fresh produce and keep our fields prosperous through every season.

We recognize and thank the hardworking farmers who help sustain our community.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The City of Yuma is offering classes to make sure children are staying safe in the water.

The City is partnering with Infant Swimming Resource to help children develop critical life-saving water skills, according to a press release.

Classes are offered October 27 through December 12 at local pools, but space is limited to 18 children. Each child and parent or guardian attends a ten-minute one-on-one session daily for six weeks.

The highest rate for drownings in the U.S. and in Yuma County is for children ages one to four.

The city says the program can save lives.

“Self rescue with the goal or intent of creating time to be found by their, their family, friend, loved one, whoever their caretaker is,” said AJ Mosqueda, Recreation Manager for the City of Yuma.

Participation is open to families throughout the Yuma region, and you do not have to be a Yuma resident to enroll.

For more information, click here.

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Madeline Murray

WINTERHAVEN, Calif. (KYMA) – There are new developments in the shooting in Winterhaven which left two people dead.

According to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO), it happened in the area of Railroad Avenue and E Street, near W. Winterhaven Drive, Friday at around 6:30 p.m.

Upon arrival, ICSO said deputies found two men dead after suffering from “apparent gunshot wounds,” with the ICSO’s Investigations Unit, with support from the Scientific Investigations Unit and the Coroner’s Office, initiating an investigation.

A lieutenant with ICSO shared his surprise that something like this happened in that area.

“This incident is being treated as a suspicious death investigation and preliminary investigations find that there is no outstanding suspects and there is currently no threat to public safety,” said Lt. Joseph Conkey. “Winterhaven is a pretty safe community, especially within Winterhaven itself, not a whole lot of these incidents do occur there.”

One resident in the neighborhood, Carmen Perez, was also was shocked by the incident.

“Nothing ever happened like that here and I just feel you never know, and I live here by myself with my kid,” said Perez.

She shared that they were just watching the rain when they saw the police lights.

Perez explained, “We don’t go outside we just stay here, we didn’t notice anything…we just noticed the cops were here because we watched how it was raining and stuff like that.”

The Scientific Investigations Unit and the Coroner’s Office are assisting with the investigation.

This is an active and ongoing investigation, and if you have any information, call ICSO.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Crane Elementary School District is asking voters to approve a tax increase they say will improve safety and technology in the district.

The tax would add two cents a month for the current taxpayer as they are currently paying $7.25. This would generate $1.5 million a year for the next seven years.

The district is looking to improve the camera technology which would make their response to a crisis more efficient.

“If there are things that we can do to ensure that individuals who come to our schools are as safe as we can make them, that’s our priority because our number one priority is the safety of our students and staff,” said Dale Ponder, Chief of Finance and Operations.

Early voting is now open through the end of the month and Election Day will take place on November 4.

For more information on the tax incentive, click here.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) says a teen has been arrested for attempted murder over the weekend.

According to a press release, it happened Sunday before 7:00 a.m. in the area of E. Cuadrilla Lane and S. Tierra Mesa Lane after receiving reports of a break-in in progress.

The suspect, a 17-year-old boy, was said to have entered a home, attempting to find and harm someone who knew him.

However, after being confronted by the homeowner, the suspect left the home, but remained on the property, leading him to break a window and re-enter the home.

The suspect then attempted to run away after deputies arrived, but YCSO says they used non-lethal ammunition to stop him.

YCSO says deputies then detained the suspect and found multiple dangerous items on him which they say he intended to use to cause harm.

YCSO says their Criminal Investigations Bureau responded and took over the investigation, and says the suspect was arrested and booked into the Yuma County Juvenile Detention Center for multiple charges, including first-degree attempted homicide, endangerment and first-degree burglary.

While no injuries were reported, the investigation remains ongoing. If anyone has any information regarding the case, call YCSO at (928) 783-4427, 78-CRIME to remain anonymous, or visit YCSO’s website to submit an anonymous tip.

PR-2025-54-Attempted-HomicideDownload

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma man accused of fatally shooting his brother last month has been formally charged Monday afternoon.

21-year-old Jesus Alexander Silva Jr. is charged with second-degree murder, and is accused of shooting his younger brother in the head.

According to the probable cause statement, Silva claims the gun was in his pocket or his waist band.

The statement says when he and his brother started to joke around, he started jumping. That’s when he says the gun fell and when he attempted to catch it, it went off, hitting his brother.

Police say they noticed certain inconsistencies with his story, including how a clean-cut hole was found in Silva’s pants, not a hole caused by a projectile.

Silva is being held on a bond of $75,000.

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