Author: KYMA

Lauren Duffel

Reporter Lauren Duffel spoke with Sgt. Lori Franklin with the Yuma Police Department on the status of the Amberly Ann Mendoza case.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The month of March marks 30 years since nine-year-old Amberly Ann Mendoza was tragically murdered in her bedroom.

The case remains unsolved, but her memory lives on as an advocacy group has stood in her honor for over 26 years.

Executive Director Tori Bourguignon shares how residents across Yuma County can access these resources.

“Amberly’s Place is a family advocacy center here in Yuma country. We are the only advocacy center here. We provide services 24/7, 365 [days], to victims of [domestic violence], sexual assault, elder abuse, sex trafficking and child abuse, both physical and sexual,” Bourguignon explained.

Mendoza’s case has remained unsolved since her murder took place back in 1996, and investigators are still trying to bring justice for her family.

“All it takes is that one person with that one clue that we’re missing to come forward and help us solve this case,” said Sgt. Lori Franklin, Public Information Officer for the Yuma Police Department (YPD).

YPD urges anyone with information to come forward.

“If anybody knows anything, please come forward…Please give us that, so we will be able to add closure to the family and give Amberly some justice,” Sgt. Franklin expressed.

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Those who enter sweepstakes and lotteries always await that special phone call notifying them that they’ve won big.

Unfortunately, scammers know just how to play into our emotions and are tricking people into paying for prizes they haven’t actually won.

BBB has received several reports of phone calls that impersonate Publishers Clearing House to BBB Scam Tracker.

How the scam works

You receive a phone call from someone claiming to be a Publishers Clearing House employee. They tell you you’ve won millions of dollars and a brand-new car—how exciting!

The person sends you a photo of your new car and all the money you will receive. Even better, they tell you that real celebrities will come to your house in the coming days to award your prizes.

However, there’s a catch. Before you can receive your prizes, you must first pay a fee for an “IRS requirement” or a “broker’s fee.”

To pay these “fees,” the individual on the phone may instruct you to purchase a gift card and provide them with the numbers on the back of the card.

They may also tell you to send money to a specific bank account or mail it to an address in another state. These fees can be hefty, ranging from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.

The person on the phone may also ask for more personal information from you, like your bank name, bank account and routing numbers. They may also ask you about your current financial situation or the savings accounts you currently hold.

If you catch on to the scam and hang up the phone, the scammer may call you back multiple times and leave you several messages asking for the money, making it difficult to end communication with them.

One consumer shared their experience to BBB Scam Tracker: “I was called…by a man named [redacted], claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House. He told me I had won secnd prize of $13 million and a BMW. He said [celebrity names redacted] would be coming to my house to present the prize…They also told me, in order to avoid paying taxes, to get a Vanilla card for $750…I contacted BBB…and was told this is a scam.”

“If you are told you have won a prize but have to pay any money, hang up the phone, rip up the letter, delete the social media contact, and report the contact to your local law enforcement agency,” said Christopher L. Irving of Publishers Clearing House, a BBB Accredited Business. “[Publishers Clearing House] will never call or private message a consumer on social media to let them know they have won and will never ask for payment.”

How to avoid sweepstakes scams

Remember, you have to play to win. If you’re being told you won a sweepstakes but don’t remember entering one, that’s a red flag for a scam. If you do enter sweepstakes, keep track of your entries so you can confirm any winning notifications you may receive. Read the fine print and rules for the sweepstakes you enter to know how prizes are claimed and how long the sweepstakes lasts.

Never pay upfront fees to claim your prizes. No legitimate sweepstakes company will ask you to pay fees to receive your prizes. Any fees that claim to be for taxes, shipping and handling, or processing are fake and a red flag. If someone is asking you to pay money to claim a prize, stop communicating with them. Publishers Clearing House has shared that their winners will never have to pay to claim a prize.

Don’t get caught up in the excitement. Sweepstakes scammers will try their best to get you very excited about your winnings, but don’t let that cloud your judgment. Take a step back and consider what the person is telling you – if you’re being told to pay money or asked to hand over personal or financial information for a sweepstakes you never entered, stop communicating with the caller.

If you’re being asked to pay with a gift card, it’s likely a scam. Paying with a gift card is one of the most common tactics scammers use to steal money from people. If you’re given urgent, specific instructions from a stranger on the phone about what type of gift card to buy, where to buy it, and how much money to put on the gift card, hang up and do not proceed with the purchase.

If you’ve been targeted by a scam like this, share your experience with BBB Scam Tracker to help others avoid similar scams.

Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission HERE. Check for trusted accredited businesses at bbb.org.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma announced Tuesday the U.S. Navy Blue Angels are coming to Yuma after nearly 40 years.

During that time, MCAS Yuma says they will be performing high-speed formations and precision maneuvers over the base.

The Blue Angels have been in El Centro for winter training since January, where they execute two to three flights per day.

“It’s a pretty rigorous schedule. We have to stay on top of our nutrition, hydration and overall health, but it definitely does a lot to get us prepared for the shows,” said Lt. Ronny Hafeza with Blue Angel 7.

In El Centro alone, they have 120 flight takeoffs and landings, just to prepare for their first flight demonstrations.

However, now that the NAF El Centro Airshow has been canceled, they will be able to perform at the Yuma Airshow.

“We were just very grateful and fortunate that Yuma asked us to come perform. We’re fortunate and very grateful that it worked out with our schedule,” said Cmdr. Lily Montana with Blue Angel 8.

The Blue Angels are excited to be here performing in Yuma and tell me there is a lot for the Yuma community to look forward to.

“This will be what is considered a remote show site, which is unique, normally when we’re flying over near field, we’ll operate out of that air field, and so this instance, we’re going to be flying from El Centro overhead,” says Cmdr. Montana.

The Blue Angels perform in tight formations, sometimes even 18 inches apart, using their sense to operate the aircraft.

“Definitely visual. We don’t rely on the instruments to tell is where were at in time and space, however the pilots are so well in tuned with their aircrafts, the stick sensations, the feel of the aircraft, how each aircraft influencing one another,” says Lt. Hafeza.

The U. S. Navy Blue Angels are performing at the 60th Anniversary of the Yuma Airshow after nearly 40 years.

The Yuma airshow is happening this Saturday, March 14, at MCAS Yuma. Gates open at 9 a.m. and the show starts at 10:30 a.m. Admission is free.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A fire last week destroyed a Yuma home filled with decades of family history.

Charles Cook, the homeowner, says the house, located in the area of Seventh Avenue and 24th Street, has been in his family since 1956.

He took over in 2008 and spent years repairing and improving it, but the home was not insured when the fire struck.

“This was not just my life, but it was my parents and my siblings. We all grew up here. And so, it’s not just the financial right now, which is a lot, but it’s family history that went up in smoke,” Cook said.

The home will have to be torn down, but Cook says not having the funds makes it even harder to face.

“I’ve been out here every day trying to get something done. But it’s just a roller coaster. Sometimes I don’t even want to get out of bed to come over here and deal with it,” he added.

Family members are working to salvage whatever they can from the debris.

Rachelle Cook, whose husband is Charles’ nephew, helped set up a GoFundMe to support Charles and the families affected by the fire. She says the effort is about helping Charles save the property if possible.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and people who want to donate can find the link here.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma County Area Transit Service changes are coming due to construction. There will be construction at the Hotel Del Sol on the corner of Gila Street and 3rd street which currently serves as the Downtown Yuma Transit Center.

The downtown hub will relocate one block North along 2nd street. Routes will be effected a little bit.

“We now have the 4A and the 4B. They used to run one clockwise, one counterclockwise, and the headways were an hour. Now we moved it to where they both turn clockwise, both busses, so it’ll be 30 minutes, so that should help,” said YCAT transit director Shelly Kreger.

They say they hope that helps the city of Yuma get around a little bit quicker.

“The green four will service the Pacific Avenue area, and the green 4B will service Arizona and 24th Street, so we’re still going to have the same coverage just quicker headways on that one,” said Kreger.

The big curve by Catalina will now be by request only, so locals will have to call into the office to request the stop. Route changes take effect on Monday, March 23rd. You can find route details here.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – One of the biggest challenges facing animals in Yuma County is a shortage of veterinarians.

We spoke to a veterinarian who shares the challenges they face with limited help in Yuma County.

Dr. Danyelle Munoz, Humane Society Medical Director, says, “If I have, you know, trained techs, then I can kind of delegate and yes, I’m stressed thin, but maybe I can stretch a little bit further, and so, I always joke that I need five of me, but I need 15 of them, so that’s definitely the hardest.”

Dr. Munoz grew up in Yuma County and says this has been an issue for a long time.

“I was born and raised here, I can tell you there was not a moment in time that the clinics in town were not hiring, and so its still the case, I mean I took this interim position in September of 2020, and I am still here because we haven’t found a full time vet to take it over 100%,” says Munoz.

The Humane Society shares in some parts of Arizona pet owners have to drive hours just to see a veterinarian.

Annette Lagunas, Humane Society Executive Director, “The veterinarian shortage is across the united states, it’s everywhere, you know theres some parts of Arizona, that those owners have to drive three four hours to get to a veterinarian.”

Many pet owners will travel to Phoenix, California, and sometimes even Mexico for accessible pet care.

Lagunas adds many vet students rack up thousands of dollars in debt making it hard to get veterinarians in Yuma County.

“Those schools very competitive, and it really hurts the rural community. We don’t even have an emergency clinic here in Yuma County, and that’s really unfortunate,” says Lagunas.

Veterinarians ask to the community to be nice and patient as they are doing the best they can to care for all animals in Yuma County.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma County Area Transit will be doing a survey to explore future services in the Foothills.

They say it’s not a promise of future service, but it is a study to see what is needed out there. They want public input to help with important community improvements.

“We need to look at the Foothills since it’s growing so fast. As far as what they need in transit, we’re looking at either micro transit, bringing back another route, or we just need to see what is needed out there,” said YCAT Transit Director Shelly Kreger.

The survey will be available for a couple of months on their website. Brand ambassadors are also visiting RV parks with surveys.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) –  The Freedom Library and Yuma Landing Bar & Grill are hosting the Mexican Food Takeover Night Wednesday.

The event is taking place at El Charro Cafe, located 601 W. Eighth Street, at 4 p.m. and will go until 8 p.m.

This will go toward the Freedom Library’s Education & Scholarship Program, with the restaurant contributing a portion of all sales to the program.

Those who attend the fundraiser can either dine-in, order their food to go, or have their food delivered.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The City of Yuma says they will reduce the speed limit on 32nd Street, between Avenue 2 1/2 E and Arizona Avenue, from 45 mph to 35 mph next week.

According to a press release, Public Works crews will install new speed limit signs Monday, March 16, 2026, and it is intended to “improve traffic flow, help reduce collisions, and support safer merging onto 32nd Street.”

The section of 32nd Street, according to the City, will also include multiple driveways, side streets, and frequent turning traffic, and says, “The reduced speed limit will better reflect how this roadway is used today.”

“Safety is the primary reason for this change,” said Director of Engineering David Wostenberg. “Traffic patterns on this section of 32nd Street have changed over time, and lowering the speed limit will help create a safer and more consistent driving experience for motorists.”

The City is asking drivers to look out for new posted speed limit signs and follow the updated speed limit as part of their effort to improve safety and traffic flow on 32nd Street.

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