Category: kyma-local-news

Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A Yuma woman accused of sexually abusing a child was back in court Friday.

31-year-old Amanda Kotlinski was arrested last month, along with her husband, 28-year-old Ethan Kotlinski.

Yuma police say the alleged abuse involved a 13-year-old child and happened near 18th Street and Avenue B.

Both suspects pleaded not guilty to all counts of sexual abuse in late March.

“We are going to be requesting a 30-day continuance,” said the legal defense.

Amanda is still in custody and will be back in court on May 22 while Ethan is set to appear in court next Monday. 

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and liver disease may be on the rise. New evidence suggests alcohol related liver disease may be nearly twice as widespread as earlier estimates.

According to the Institute of Addiction Medicine, alcohol-related liver disease may be nearly twice as widespread as previously thought largely because people often do not report how much they drink.

Dr. Joseph Volpicelli, executive director of the Institute of Addiction Medicine, said, “It’s really important that you tell your doctor honestly which or how much you’re drinking because if you diagnose the problem early, it’s much more easy to treat.”

If you or someone you know may be struggling with alcohol use, help is available. For more information and resources, please visit Responsibility.org, pcss-maud.org, and niaaa.nih.gov.

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Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – We all get headaches, but how do you know when it’s something more serious?

Mitzy Pacheco, nurse practitioner with Exceptional Community Hospital in Yuma, says sometimes headaches can be more serious then you think.

“If you have the worst headache of your life, sudden onset pain, vision changes, confusion, or weakness, those could be signs of something more serious like a bleed or a stroke,” says Pacheco.

ECH Yuma is open 24/7 with low wait times. If anyone experiencing symptoms of headaches, go to the ER.

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A crash involving three vehicles sends two people to the hospital with serious injuries.

The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash around 8 a.m. Thursday morning on East Airport Loop between Avenue A and West County 14th Street, just south of the Yuma International Airport.

Investigators say a Toyota Tacoma was traveling southbound when it crossed the centerline into oncoming traffic and crashed head-on with a Toyota Corolla. 

A Ford Explorer traveling behind the Corolla avoided the crash by steering onto the gravel shoulder damaging the vehicle. 

Rural Metro arrived on scene and sent the drivers of the Tacoma and Corolla to Onvida Health with critical injuries.

Both drivers were later flown to a Phoenix area hospital for further medical treatment.

The crash is still under investigation.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The sentencing of a San Luis city council member has been rescheduled.

Tadeo de la Hoya was scheduled to appear in court Thursday morning.

The defense attorney met with the court and the district attorney and agreed that the best way to manage this case was to cancel this sentencing hearing and set a mitigation/aggravation hearing.

The recommendation from the court is to place Councilman de la Hoya on standard probation for 36 months.

His next court appearance will be next Thursday, April 30. De la Hoya is accused of fleeing from law enforcement in October of last year.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma County Board of Supervisors has approved joining a new national opioid settlement.

This is the second round of settlements, following an initial agreement in 2021. By joining, the county agrees not to pursue future claims against the companies involved.

The latest agreement includes six additional pharmaceutical companies. Payments from the settlement can be spread out over time, ranging from one year up to 18 years.

County officials say the money will be shared across the region, with a portion going to Yuma County and the rest distributed to cities like Somerton, Wellton, San Luis, and Yuma.

Officials say the funding could support treatment, education, and awareness efforts in the community. Some of that work already includes providing free naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses through local partners.

Health leaders say many opioids are easy to access and are often mixed with substances like fentanyl, where even a small amount can be deadly.

They say raising awareness and expanding resources is key to preventing overdoses.

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Adrik Vargas

UPDATE (Friday, April 24): Day three of jury deliberations ends with no verdict in the trial of a Yuma man accused of murdering a man in a home in Yuma County.

The jury wrapped of their third day of deliberations and jury members were not able to reach a verdict on Friday.

Deliberations will continue on Monday.

The jury has to decide whether the suspect, 40-year-old Nicholas Harder, is guilty of first degree premeditated murder and aggravated assault, in the death of 57-year-old Anthony Jordinelli.

Harder has been in custody since his arrest in May of 2023. He’s being held at the Yuma County Adult Detention center on a bond of $1 million.

Keep it tuned to our newscasts, our website and download our News 11 app for the latest updates.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The fate of a Yuma man accused of murdering a man in a Yuma County home is now in the hands of the jury.

Deliberations began Wednesday in the trial of 40-year-old Nicholas Harder as he is accused of murdering 57-year-old Anthony Jordinelli back in May of 2023.

Harder claims that Jordinelli attacked him first and that he acted in self defense.

Jury deliberations continued into the afternoon.

We have our reporter at Yuma County Superior Court waiting for that verdict, and we will update this article as soon as we learn of a verdict.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – It’s kitten season in Yuma, and the Humane Society of Yuma (HSOY) says it’s one of the busiest and most critical times of the year.

So far, about 85 kittens have already come into the shelter. While many are in foster care, staff say their foster volunteers are starting to feel overwhelmed.

This year, the shelter has a clear goal: no healthy kitten entering the shelter will be euthanized. But they say reaching that goal will take help from the community.

There are several ways to get involved. People can adopt, foster kittens, or volunteer with the shelter’s “Kitten Squad” to help care for newborns.

No prior experience is needed and training will be provided, according to HSOY.

They’re also reminding people to be careful when they find kittens outside. In many cases, the mother cat is still nearby, even if she’s not immediately visible.

Staff say well-meaning people often bring kittens in thinking they’ve been abandoned, when they may actually be better off staying where they are so their mother can care for them.

HSOY is also asking for supplies, which can include the following:

Heating pads

KMR (kitten milk replacer) formula

Baby wipes

Miracle nipples

Monetary donations can be made here.

If you are interested in fostering, please contact Paige at pbrooke@hsoyuma.com and or register at https://hsoyuma.com/fostering-a-pet.html.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Research shows just how much money Arizona smokers are spending on cigarettes.

According to iSelect, smokers in Arizona spend more than $2,000 per year on cigarettes, with the average pack costing $10.69.

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease, death and disability in the United States, according to the CDC.

Dr. Karen Melara of Onvia Health said, “We have very strong evidence to suggest that smoking can lead to many devastating medical conditions. These medical conditions can be very severe, chronic, debilitating, and they really can represent a true decline in the patient’s quality of life.”

Between the financial cost of smoking and the serious health consequences, quitting can be one of the best choices a smoker can make.

Free and effective resources for quitting smoking are available. Check out smokefree.gov for more information and support.

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