Category: kyma-local-news

Skylar Heisey

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma man who pleaded guilty to murdering a pregnant woman was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

30-year-old Alexander Delcid was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to second-degree murder last month.

Delcid murdered 35-year-old Alexis Rodriguez in 2023.

He was originally facing 14 charges, including two counts of murder and attempted murder, but accepted a plea deal.

Delcid will serve his sentence in the Arizona Department of Corrections, with 759 days already served.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) will host in-person mobile office hours in Yuma Thursday amid the government shutdown.

The mobile office hours are from noon to 3:00 p.m. at Yuma City Hall.

During that time, the senator’s Constituent Service Team will be available to help Arizonans navigate critical services like Social Security, VA benefits, the IRS and immigration assistance.

“Even with the government shutdown, Arizonans’ real-life challenges don’t stop, and my team is here to help,” Sen. Gallego said in a statement.

To RSVP for the event, click here.

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Skylar Heisey

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma County Public Health Services District (YCPHSD) detected two mosquito-borne illness cases.

Both cases involve Yuma County residents, including one who tested positive for dengue fever and a second who tested positive for West Nile Virus.

YCPHSD Vector Control staff continue to conduct mosquito surveillance, including trapping and treating areas when appropriate.

Everyone is encouraged to regularly inspect their homes and yards for standing water where mosquitoes can breed such as in flowerpots, gutters, debris and birdbaths.

Community members can further help protect their neighborhoods by promptly reporting any potential mosquito breeding sites or related concerns to the Health Department.

For more information, contact the Yuma County Public Health Services.

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Joaquin Hight

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Food Bank saw a large number of people waiting in line on Tuesday, largely due to a cut in SNAP benefits.

The food bank director says they’ve seen a 50% increase in people since Monday, with the waiting line reaching the far side of the building.

Some locals were waiting in line for over 25 minutes. One volunteer shares what it’s been like to help everyone.

“Luckily, we’ve got a lot of volunteers, and so far, we’re handling it. But, it’s been a busy day,” said Bob Fischer, a volunteer.

The food bank is encouraging locals to donate food, money, and time to help as they continue to support those affected by the government shutdown.

One local compared the situation for some families to the Soviet Union, saying that the politicians are “playing games.”

The Food Bank is always accepting donations and volunteers. They accept donations in food and money, and other contributions, such as utensils, plates, and cups, are given to other local organizations, like Amberly’s Place.

 

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Karina Bazarte

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The El Centro City Council has named Kelly Brown as the new Chief of Police during the council’s regular meeting Tuesday.

According to a press release, Brown served as Acting Chief since May of this year, and he brings more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement and leadership to the role.

“I am truly grateful for the trust the City Manager and our City Council has placed in me to lead such a dedicated team of professionals,” said Chief Brown. “I am honored to serve the City of El Centro in this new role and believe the heart of policing relies on partnerships with the community. My commitment is to provide the highest standard of police services through innovation, cooperation, and teamwork. Together, we will continue building a safer, stronger, and more connected community.”

Brown, according to the press release, began his career in law enforcement with Brawley Police Department back in 2002.

The press release says Brown also served as Interim Chief “before joining the Chula Vista Police Department in 2019, where he spent more than three years before accepting the Deputy Chief position with the City of El Centro in February 2023.”

“Chief Brown has demonstrated exceptional integrity, professionalism, and commitment to the residents of El Centro,” said City Manager Robert Sawyer. “His broad experience and deep understanding of community policing make him an excellent choice to lead our department moving forward.”

To learn more about this, read the press release, written in English and Spanish, below.

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BrownChiefofPDPRSpaDownload

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Madeline Murray

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – One of the focuses this election was on the Gadsen Elementary School District Board Member Recalls, where we have four candidates running.

Two recall petitions were filed against school board president Luis Marquez and board member Liliana Arroyo.

The petitions claim that Marquez has been on the board too long and has abused his power, while the recall against Arroyo claims that she is unfit for the position because she cannot speak English proficiently.

Mark Concha, who is running against Luis Marquez, says it’s time for a change, whereas, Marquez says concha has been after him for two years, and now it’s time for the community to decide.

We spoke to Luis Marquez and mark concha about their reaction if they won the election.

“You know I got a congratulations, I mean that’s what democratic is, you know you have too accept the will of the community, if the community wants me to stay, I’ll stay, because I’m defending my position, I’m not running,” says Luis Marquez.

Mark Concha says he would keep his campaign promises.

Concha says, “but, if I get elected, I can assure that I will do my 120 percent or more to satisfy what I’m saying during my campaign.”

The final results for this election will be in on Friday.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – San Luis, Arizona residents are casting their votes Tuesday as three items are on the ballot.

One of the focal points of this election is Proposition 434, which would end the pay and benefits for the San Luis mayor and City Council members.

San Luis city council member Lizeth Servin was against proposition 434.

If Prop 434 is approved, The San Luis mayor and council members would serve the public without compensation, benefits, and travel allowances.

Servin told me that it would be difficult, and very hard to afford to be able to do the job without this pay and benefits.

She says she hopes people understand the council’s perspective, and is glad with the voter turnout.

“I’ve been here all day since morning, and it’s just been consistent, it hasn’t been like a multitude of people coming at once, but it’s been steady, like constant movement so I’m happy with the turn out,” Servin says.

As a reminder these are not the official results, just the early ones.

Official results should be in by Friday.

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Adrik Vargas

UPDATE (9 P.M.) California Prop 50 is projected to pass, according to NBC News and several other news outlets.

MPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial County residents are casting their votes Tuesday as Proposition 50 is on the ballot.

It is a measure that aims to redraw the state’s congressional districts, similar to recent redistricting efforts in Texas.

As of Friday, about 15,000 Imperial County residents had already cast their ballots out of roughly 95,000 registered voters.

About 25 polling stations across the Imperial Valley opened at 7:00 a.m. Pacific and will close at 8:00 p.m. Pacific.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) says a man was arrested and extradited back to Yuma in connection to the Zales Jewelers burglary last year.

According to YPD, it happened last August at around 4:05 a.m. when officers responded to an alarm at Zales Jewelers, located in the Yuma Palms Regional Center, and found the front glass door was damaged upon arrival.

YPD says the suspect “entered the store through the broken door, shattered display cases and fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of merchandise.”

Three months into the investigation, YPD says their detectives identified the suspect as 36-year-old Deandre Lamar Wells.

Back in September of this year, YPD says the grand jury was presented the case, and said an arrest warrant was issued for Wells.

Later that month, Wells was arrested in Tarrant County, Texas by the U.S. Marshals Service, and has since been extradited back to Yuma.

Wells is being held at the Yuma County Detention Center, on a bond of $500,000, on multiple charges, including third-degree burglary.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The City of Yuma is inviting residents to apply for the 2026 Neighborhood Leadership Academy.

According to a press release, it is a 12-week in-depth course where residents get a behind the scenes look at different functions, departments, services and facilities in the City of Yuma.

The City says the academy starts January 15, 2026, and the graduation ceremony is taking place April 9, 2026.

The event is free, and applications will remain open “until the academy reaches its 25-person capacity,” according to the City.

If anyone wants to apply to participate in the academy, click here. To learn more about the academy, click here.

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