Zach Fuentes
I come from a very diverse background and was taught at an early age just how important freedom of the press is. My dad is Afro-Cuban, coming to this country from Communist Cuba. My mother is Puerto Rican and Irish, and raised by my Italian-American grandfather. I was born and largely grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada with a lot of other kids from similar, diverse backgrounds. Through that my interest in people and other cultures was born!
When I was a teenager, my parents moved us to a town about an hour away from Vegas called Pahrump. At the time, leaving a big city for a small one was not easy for me but it led to my first job in broadcasting as a teenager at a very small TV station.
My time at KPVM started as a summer volunteer position, answering phones and doing other tasks that no one else wanted to do! It was there that I discovered I could be paid to go places, write, meet new people and talk! Most of all, I saw firsthand, the critical role journalists play in informing people and holding those in power accountable. I decided journalism was for me and went back to Vegas to pursue my degree at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. During my time in college and after, I worked at the Las Vegas ABC affiliate both in front of and behind the camera.
After that, California called and I gladly answered! I worked at KION in Monterey-Salinas as an anchor/reporter and most recently at KXTV in Sacramento. While there I covered COVID from the beginning, the protests following George Floyd's murder, the state's EDD crisis, and wildfires. They were heavy times for the community but also an opportunity to showcase the true strength people have when coming together.
I am so grateful to work from the South Bay bureau, continuing to tell stories of diverse people, and important events. Feel free to shoot me an zach.j.fuentes@abc.com and connect with me on social media to send story ideas, or, just say hi!
Zach's Stories
Families waiting for answers after 7 killed in NorCal fireworks warehouse explosion
It's been almost one week since a Yolo County fireworks warehouse exploded, killing seven people. The families of some of the victims are still waiting for information after authorities found the bodies over the weekend.
Community rallies outside San Jose immigration office in support of man at risk of deportation
Guillermo Medina Reyes is still out of ICE custody due to a last-minute court order, but his attorney says the fight with ICE isn't over.
San Mateo County leaders calling for more public transportation funding
Supervisors, city council members and other leaders held a press conference on Monday calling for more funding to public transportation. Officials are hoping San Mateo County opts into Senate Bill 63.
Supervisors vote unanimously to remove embattled San Mateo Co. Sheriff Christina Corpus
Sheriff Corpus told ABC7 News on Tuesday that she does not plan to resign and that she will "fight until the end."
Images unveil new look at the universe taken from world's largest camera built in Bay Area
The 6,000-pound camera was built at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park. It has the largest lens built for astronomy so it could see as much of the sky as possible.
SFO, officials honor AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibition in remembrance of lives lost to disease
"It's very important history that's local to San Francisco." Community members and local leaders came together for a Pride Month reception commemorating SFO Museum's AIDS Memorial Quilt Exhibit.
Brush fire comes frighteningly close to homes in Antioch as residents deal with mess from retardant
Neighbors in Antioch say there is a lot to be grateful for, as drone video shows just how close their homes were to burning in a brush fire, but there is a big cleanup ahead due to the pink fire retardant coating the block.
PG&E begins Bay Area power shutoffs, scheduled in 3 counties through Saturday to prevent wildfires
PG&E has turned off power in parts of the East Bay due to increasing fire danger, as other parts of the Bay Area could face outages in the coming days.
Health care workers strike at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland due to integration plans
Right now, workers at the hospital and other satellite clinics in the East Bay are employees of the hospital, not UCSF Health. However, UCSF is now saying the employees are transitioning to UC employment and unions next month.
Berkeley city council reportedly passes controversial strict wildfire safety plan
Residents in some Berkeley neighborhoods will now have to comply with one of the strictest wildfire plans in California, banning everything flammable, such as plants and wood fences, from within five feet of homes.