CRIME & SAFETY

This week in El Centro, California, several incidents occurred that raised concerns for public safety. These incidents include an attempted murder with a stabbing and theft, the seizure of a large amount of liquid methamphetamine, a fatal shooting involving a brick-throwing suspect, a robbery and assault at a motel, and an officer-involved shooting. The El Centro Police Department has released body camera footage related to some of these incidents.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said so far there have been multiple car accidents since last Wednesday including a fatal crash. The post Maximum enforcement in Imperial County during the holidays appeared first on KYMA.

IMPERIAL COUNTY – A 69-year-old male from La Mirage, AZ was driving a 2018 Can-Am Maverick within the open desert terrain of the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (Glamis), November 24, at approximately 3:30 with his passenger, Martha Duran, a 65-year-old, from La Mirage, AZ As they traveled the open desert, the driver encountered a sudden drop in the terrain causing the Can-Am to overturn, according to a CHP press release.

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - California Highway Patrol (CHP) said a 69-year-old man died and a 65-year-old woman was injured after their Can-Am overturned in the open desert. A 69-year-old man and his passenger, a 65-year-old woman, were driving a 2018 Can-Am Maverick on Friday, November 24 in the...

An El Centro transient was arrested early Sunday morning after stealing from a convenience store. It was his second encounter with El Centro Police in an hour. At about 11:19 p.m. Saturday police responded to the report of a man attempting to break in to a vehicle at 8th and Adams Avenue. The owner of the pick-up truck was able to chase the suspect and then identify him for police. The suspect, a 28-year-old transient, was cited and released for malicious mischief. Less than an hour later, the same suspect was arrested at the convenience store for theft. He was again detained by El Centro Police but this time he was booked at Imperial County Jail on charges of Burglary and Theft.

EL CENTRO — Gerardo Acevedo, one of the men in connection to the 2020 homicide of El Centro resident Jose Angel Sandoval was present at the Imperial County Superior Courthouse in El Centro Wednesday, November for a pre-trial conference motion to compel. As per court minutes, the defendant was...

Police are investigating another possible fentanyl overdose death in El Centro. Officers responded to a motel on Wake Avenue at noon on Thursday after motel employees went to check on a guest that had not checked out. When maintenance personnel open the door of the room, they saw a woman on the floor and drugs on the bed. El Centro Fire Department responded, and the 43-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers recovered 8 M30 fentanyl pills and a small amount of methamphetamine from the room. The Imperial County Coroner's Office was notified, and they are continuing the investigation.

A pedestrian was injured in a hit and run accident Friday morning. The accident happened at 9:35 a.m. Friday in the 1400 block of Main Street in El Centro. An older man was struck by a mid-size SUV with Baja California license plates driven by a woman. The vehicle fled the scene. The pedestrian sustained minor injuries. Investigators are reviewing video footage from local businesses.

This week in Imperial County, California, there were three notable incidents. An El Centro woman was arrested for arson of an inhabited structure after a fire destroyed a home that had become a site for squatters. Gunfire at a cattle ranch east of Calexico led to the arrest of one man and the refusal of another to come out from the property. Lastly, Calexico police detained a woman wanted by the US Marshals after she was involved in a crash and attempted to flee. Thankfully, no injuries were reported in any of these incidents.

A traffic accident early Friday morning resulted in the arrest of a driver. The accident occurred at about 1:37 a.m. in the 900 block of Wake Avenue in El Centro. A 35-year-old man crashed his truck into the front yard of a house. Damage was minimal but the man was arrested and booked at Imperial County Jail on charges of Driving Under the Influence.

EL CENTRO — A victim of an attempted murder was flown to a Coachella Valley hospital for treatment on Thanksgiving morning after he was stabbed eight times in an apparent robbery somewhere near Fifth Street and Holt Avenue in El Centro, according to police records. A friend of the...

A search for free-range chickens in El Centro has apparently ended. For several months, El Centro Animal Control and Police officers have been searching for chickens that have been reported roaming in the 1200 block of Pepper Drive. The chickens eluded all efforts to capture them, and officers were unable to identify where they were roosting. At about 9:24 a.m. Thursday, three chickens were finally corralled. The three birds were taken to the El Centro City Pound but one of the feathered fowl was able to flee and was last seen flying away from the pound.

The chicken caper in El Centro continues. For several months there have been reports of chickens in the 1200 block of Pepper Avenue in El Centro. El Centro Animal Control officers and Police officers have been trying to track down exactly where the chickens roost. From time-to-time officers are able to spot the fowl in the neighborhood but, so far, have not pinpointed their home. On Wednesday morning, an Animal Control Officer patrolled the area on foot and located evidence of the presence of chickens but couldn't locate the birds. Late Wednesday afternoon the officer rechecked the neighborhood to try and locate the roost but was unsuccessful. The chickens are in a residential neighborhood and that violates city ordinances. The search for the feathered law breakers continues.

A man was arrested after falling asleep at the wheel of his car. At about 1:15 a.m. Wednesday, El Centro Police found a car facing south on Imperial Avenue at Adams Avenue with the driver apparently asleep. The 24-year-old driver was passed out and it was ultimately determined that he was under the influence of THC. He was booked at Imperial County Jail on charges of Driving Under the Influence.

Imperial County District Attorney George Marquez announced in a recent press release a new crackdown on cases involving people who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which he said in the release are on the rise in Imperial County. Also on the rise are the number of DUI-related crashes causing injury or death. To combat this growing trend, DA Marquez has obtained a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to support all DUI-related investigations and prosecutions.

A suspect tied to a jewelry store robbery in Calexico back in 2022 has been arrested. The post Jewelry store robbery suspect arrested appeared first on KYMA.

Imperial County Fire responded to the report of a car burning on Clark Road near Heber Road. The report of the fire was received at about 7:45 p.m. Monday. The car was on an access road next to an agricultural field and was fully involved when fire fighters arrived. It turns out the car had been reported stolen in Calexico and apparently abandoned and burned by the thief. The incident remains under investigation.

Imperial County Sheriff’s Office officials reported that on October 27 at about 12:08 p.m., ICSO Dispatch received a call regarding stolen property in front of a house in the 2200 block of Azure Avenue in Salton City. The stolen property was from a burglary incident reported the night before....

Batteries and a diesel pump were stolen from an El Centro construction site over the Thanksgiving weekend. The theft was reported Monday morning when crews returned to work at the site near 8th and Bradshaw in El Centro. Taken from the site were 2 24-volt batteries, 1 12-volt battery and a red diesel pump. Total loss was estimated at $750.00.

(DUI cases are reportedly on the increase in Imperial County)...District Attorney George Marquez has decided to do something to combat the trend. The D.A. has obtained a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to support all DUI-related investigations and prosecutions. The District Attorney says the $132,000 grant will support prosecutors by providing them the necessary specialized training to effectively investigate and prosecute DUI cases. The grant will also support homicide cases where driving under the influence resulted in a fatality. Marquez has appointed Deputy District Attorney Fredrick Pollock to spearhead these cases in coordination with the California Highway Patrol. The D.A. says the reality is that every time someone drives a vehicle impaired, they risk not only there own lives, but the lives of every person who has proximity to their vehicle, both driver and pedestrian. Marquez says they intend to hold these people accountable for committing this offense.