Category: kyma-local-news

Karina Bazarte

BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The Brawley Police Department (BPD) is introducing a new member on their squad.

BPD say Max is the first robot dog in all of Imperial County.

Brawley Police Chief Jimmy Duran says the idea is to help protect officers and anyone around a dangerous situation.

“The idea is to send Max and hopefully scout. It does have thermal as well, so he can see if the individual is hiding. He sees the body heat, even if it’s dark. Max can see right through that, so that is our idea and we find the individual and maybe we can talk him down rather than engaging with our officers,” said Chief Duran.

BPD say Max will also attend community events all over the city.

He will start working for the city soon.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, heat causes more death that any other weather-related event in the United States.

David Padilla from The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) says, “The summertime, obviously the concrete, the asphalt is extremely hot, but things that people don’t think about, we obviously don’t want them out with their children at the park, all the metal park structures are going to be really hot, but even the outside of vehicles, we set things down on top of vehicles when were loading up, or getting in…wanna make sure that people are careful.”

When in the midst of extreme temperatures, people often do not think about how hot some surfaces can get.

Anything in direct sunlight is going to be extremely hot and should be approached with caution.

We spoke to YFD about cases where people have gotten hurt from hot surfaces.

“There are times when patients fall and what would normally be just a fall under normal circumstances becomes a much bigger emergency because they fall outside on the concrete, if it’s an elderly couple and let’s say wife falls and husband can’t help her up, it’s not just a fall anymore now we’re concerned about burns,” says Padilla.

Remember to stay hydrated and indoors, if possible, in this extreme

Make sure you are staying hydrated, not wearing thick clothing, and finding shade if you are out in the extreme heat.

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Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Housing America Corporations says they provide affordable housing either by homeownership or rental subsidy through our apartment complexes.

Yolanda Galindo, Executive Director of Housing America Corporations, says they have a few locations available for those who are interested in low income housing.

“We have a couple of locations in Somerton and one in Yuma. We have 16 apartments, Orchard Street apartments, and we have 32 del Pueblo, 44 of just senior assisted living in Somerton and then we have 42 in Colorado Street apartments here located in Yuma. We also have 24 in Natal apartments in Somerton,” she said.

Galindo says the apartments are kept in great conditions for all tenants.

“These apartments are maintained in a decent, safe environment. Obviously there’s always a maintenance on call, any repairs are needed, and then with funding allowance, we always try to maintain the apartments,” says Galindo

If you’re interested in applying, you can visit the Housing America Corporation offices.

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Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Housing America Corporation is now implementing a new 504 home repair program.

The program provides loans for low income homeowners to repair, improve, or modernize the home. It also provides grants to remove any health or safety hazards from a home.

Yolanda Galindo, Executive Director of Housing America Corporation, says you can apply for the program if you meet certain requirements.

“You have to be a homeowner, the home has to be owner occupied, and live within the service area of USDA. You have to be current with all your utilities and meet the income limits for this program,” says Galindo.

Galindo adds different types of repairs can be funded.

“We can do from ADA modifications for the accessibility modifications to roofs to air conditioners to plumbing, electrical, anything really that has to do with your health, and even energy efficiency components of your home,” says Galindo.

To apply for the program, you can you can visit the Housing America Corporation Offices.

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Adrik Vargas

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – A Brawley man convicted of killing his wife could be sentenced to life in prison later this month.

Rodrigo Flores Gomez, 38, was found guilty of first-degree murder for the 2024 killing of his wife, 36-year-old Sandy Fabela.

According to the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office, Gomez strangled Fabela inside their home in Brawley last April.

Investigators say he later moved her body to a parked car and eventually admitted to the killing.

“Prosecution is gonna argue that this man should never see the light of day again, life without the possibility of parole, which is what we’re going for and what he deserves,” said Imperial County District Attorney George Marquez.

The case brought to light 16 years of abuse, a restraining order that was never served, and a threat made just one day before the killing.

“The facts of this case are egregious, they’re egregious. The fact that he did this in the home where she lived with her family. At the end of the day, she was a woman trying to protect her family, she didn’t want drug use in her home,” Marquez added.

Just a month before the murder, Fabela’s daughter submitted a written declaration saying she feared her father would kill her mother.

“There are indicators of domestic violence in advance,” Marquez said. “Psychological, coercive control over someone’s life, violence, patterns of control, those things are indicators of domestic violence.”

He added that taking action when those signs appear can make a difference.

“In this case you look at the mother, she left three kids behind, a three-year-old, a seven-year-old, and a 16-year-old, and they don’t even have a father,” they said.

Gomez is scheduled to be sentenced on August 22 at the El Centro Courthouse.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, there are local resources ready to help.

Sure Helpline Crisis Center in El Centro offers confidential support, crisis intervention, and emergency shelter services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. They also provide advocacy and referrals to additional support services. The link to their website is here.

WomanHaven Center for Family Solutions, also based in El Centro, supports individuals and families affected by domestic violence through emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and prevention education. Find more about their services here.

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Adrik Vargas

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – A major job fair at the Imperial Valley Mall drew hundreds of job seekers Friday, as the community works to help those hit hardest by recent layoffs.

The event comes after the sudden closure of the Spreckels Sugar Plant in Brawley, which wiped out around 400 jobs and sent shockwaves through the local economy.

Employers from across the Valley came ready to hire, looking to help people get back on their feet.

“We’re looking for EVS, pharmacy techs, but mostly RNs, but we’re looking for everything,” said Marselle Cooke with Pioneers Memorial Healthcare.

One program, ForeverGreen Farms, offers an eight-week paid training for farmworkers to move into better-paying agriculture jobs.

“The training is gonna pay $25 an hour, the training is for 8 weeks completely paid, they’re even gonna get transportation if they don’t have any to get to the training,” said Ruben Partida with Comité de Acción del Valle.

Congressman Raul Ruiz, who helped organize the job fair, said he’s working with growers and the USDA to save jobs.

“We’re working with the growers, and the USDA, to salvage what we can of the beet industry, so that people in that industry can continue to work. We’re also working with the Lithium Valley companies to create the manufacturing base of jobs that many people here have skills for,” Congressman Ruiz said.

Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez also encouraged companies to see what the region has to offer.

“Come see the jewel, the gem, of what Imperial County is, so that way they can understand really the beauty, the hard working people here,” Assemblyman Gonzalez shared.

County officials say they hope to host two job fairs every year.

For more information and employment resources, visit the Imperial County Workforce Development Board.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Helping local police train K9s. The K9 Officer Partner Support (OPS) Foundation donated a bite suit to the Yuma Police Department.

The non-profit says it’s important to support local law enforcement.

“Money is so tight everywhere, they need equipment, they need things that can help them train, so it’s important for us and to us to be able to provide them with that help,” said Mark Sims, Vice President of the K9 OPS Foundation

The bite suit has a price tag of nearly $2,000.

The Yuma Police Department (YPD) say this a much-needed tool for both the officers and the K9s.

“It’s going to help to make our decoys more safe, it’s good for the dog as well. It’s a different color, different suit, different material. It’s good for them to see it, but really is for our decoys to be safer,” said Officer Blaine Blanton of YPD.

If you would like to support the K9 OPS Foundation, they are hosting a restaurant takeover on Thursday from 3 to 10 p.m. at Texas Roadhouse on 16th Street.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Arizona Western College (AWC) is doing what it can to help local college students with a food drive going from August 11 to September 8.

“The Cubby” is running the food drive with a goal to collect 1,000 items to ensure all students can get the proper nutrition they need to bask in academic success.

“There’s a lot of students that are in need and we want to be able to support the students and not make hunger something that they have to deal with, or, a challenge that gets in the way of them thriving here on campus, in their classes,” said Student Care Coordinator Adrienne Noriega.

Although the program is newer, students are making the most out of the food pantry and demand is on the rise.

“I think we’ve seen ‘The Cubby’ growing, and the need growing, so we want to make sure that we’re always stocked and that students know they can go there, and that it’s a safe place for them, and that they’re gonna receive the nourishment that they need,” Noriega said.

Students are ready to take full advantage of the pantry to try to eliminate a common obstacle that has stood in their way in the past.

“I mean everyone’s sort of heard the phrase, ‘The starving college kids,’ so it’s nice just to have that little program where people can go and get what they need,” local student Nicholas Foley stated.

You can donate non-perishables to “The Cubby” on campus or make a monetary donation here.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Pam Engelmann says she received constant scam emails, saying everything in her storage unit would be sold. However, Engelmann doesn’t have a unit.

After receiving this same scam a second time, she alerted the police of the danger.

“I just don’t want anybody to get caught in this because three months of storage unit, had I given them my card, who knows what they would have done with it you know, it’s just a little frightening,” says Engelmann.

Luckily, she did not fall for it. However, these scams do typically affect people in her age range.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, personal losses due to internet crime increased by 30% last year.

They say that people ages 60 and over lost the most money at almost five billion dollars.

Peter Torres, a local storage unit manager, shares some helpful advice on how to know if an email or phone call is a scam.

“By law, we got to provide the customer all the details and the information that they need to know for them to save the items if they want it paid. Now, if this is a scam, immediately you will know that because they will not have that information,” Torres said.

The Yuma Police Department shares the possible punishments for those caught conducting these scams.

“It depends on the scam though, most of the time the money amounts could lead to felony charges for fraud, but fraud in general is a felony offense,” said Hayato Johnson, Public Information Officer for YPD.

The FBI also says that Arizona was in the top ten for most money lost at $392,000,000.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Yuma High is acting as the home court for a no-cost physical event for all Yuma Union High School District athletes at 4 p.m. this Friday.

The district is pairing with Onvida Health in an effort to avoid any hurdles student-athletes may encounter in registering to play sports.

“I think the free physical is really important so that we are decreasing as many barriers as possible to play sports for our athletes,” Assistant Principal of Athletics & Health and Safety Johannah Elliott said. “The fact that it’s free is really amazing.”

Student-athletes will not be dealing with minor league doctors, either. The event is led by Doctor Ryan Zerr, who is bringing a full team of medical professionals to take care of every student-athlete.

“We’re really grateful for the partnership with Onvida,” YUHSD Chief Communications Director Eric Patten said.

Just because an athlete is not participating in a fall sport does not mean they need to stand on the sidelines. These physicals will prepare student-athletes for long-term play.

“There’s still time to get cleared,” Patten said. “There’s still time for athletes to go out for fall sports. And if you’re participating in anything like soccer, basketball, wrestling, baseball, softball…anything like that…in the winter and spring, the physical that you get now will be valid for that, as well.”

You can fill it out the Arizona Interscholastic Association physical forms online before the event to speed up the process, or fill out the paperwork upon arrival at Yuma High School.

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