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
As early voting gets underway in CA, experts explain why it's more important than ever this election
Early voting doesn't just make things convenient for many voters, it can also help make things more efficient for California registrar's offices which can start processing ballots as they come in.
Latina Equal Pay Day: South Bay rallies to end to pay disparities
On average in the U.S., Latinas make 51 cents for every dollar made by men. In Silicon Valley, the gap is even wider.
Bay Area bakes in autumn heat wave with record temps broken
Temperatures trended 20 to 25 degrees above average on Tuesday -- a rare sight for the first day of October in the Bay Area. Here's how residents coped during the fall scorcher.
San Jose's Community Cycles of California kicks off job training program
A nonprofit based in a South Bay bike shop is playing a crucial role in building a better Bay Area by helping people overcome barriers and develop new skills, all while standing on their own.
World's most powerful x-ray laser created in Bay Area lab set for major upgrade: Here's a look
The world's most powerful X-ray laser is located at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in the Bay Area, and it's about to become even more powerful. "We can create much faster, much longer-lasting electronics."
Congressional candidate Sam Liccardo criticized by San Jose firefighters union for time as mayor
Members of a San Jose firefighters union are saying Congressional candidate Sam Liccardo's work as mayor made the city less safe.
Bay Area girls' message in bottle sent from Fiji found in Australia 8 years later
Here's the "fantasy fairy tale" true story of how a message in a bottle sent away in 2016 by three Bay Area girls in Fiji was found by a hiking group in Australia.
35 East San Jose businesses to receive free security cameras thanks to $50,000 pilot program
More than $50,000 has been invested in enhancing security for small businesses in one Bay Area community.
National Voter Registration Day sees push to engage young, marginalized voters in Bay Area
Efforts to get more people registered to vote ramped up across the Bay Area on National Voter Registration Day, with a strong focus on encouraging young and marginalized communities to participate in the democratic process.
How SJSU and other CSU future health innovators would benefit from new funding opportunity
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra visited San Jose State Monday to introduce a new health initiative that would increase access to government funding for early-career researchers.