Boxing community hit hard by deaths

Yuma's boxing community has been staggered by the death of a mother and her four children Friday night.

Members of the Yuma County Youth Boxing Association praised Adrienne Heredia and her four children for being an integral part of the boxing program.

"I admired her. She got my respect," said YCYBA president Fred Block. "She was devoted to her kids. She didn't have the easiest time growing up, and she was a young mother with a lot of kids. But she accepted that responsibility and loved her kids."

Heredia and her four children were murdered Friday night at their home at 2037 E. La Mesa St. Heredia's boyfriend, Luis Rios of Yuma was also killed in the same incident.

The upcoming boxing event, Ringside Challenge 23, will be dedicated to the memory of Heredia and her children, who were all heavily involved in local boxing. The event will be on Aug. 13 at the Yuma Readiness and Community Center, located at the corner of 24th Street and Araby Road.

Since 2001, Heredia served as the secretary for the association. She was the only parent of young children who served on the board, Block said.

In addition to being on the board, Heredia, a female boxer, trained with the club, as did two of her sons: Andreas Crawford, 13, and Enrique Bedoya, 12. Her two other children, Inez Newman, 9, and Danny Heredia III, 6, often came to the club as well.

"She was training herself with her two sons," Block said. "She would bring the other children to the gym to watch their brothers train."

Block said the older boys were strong boxers and excellent kids. They had traveled to Las Vegas, Phoenix and cities in California to compete.

"They were very talented athletes. They never gave up," he said. "They always boxed boxers with more experience. They were always going against the best."

While boxing is a physical sport, Block said the boys were very good-natured. He said they would never fight with each other.

Daniel Martinez, pastor of Yuma Missionary Baptist Church and a YCYBA board member, said the club will miss Heredia.

"People always relate this to drugs, domestic violence, alcohol, things like that," Martinez said. "But this mother was not involved in that kind of stuff. What I'm telling you is the truth."

Martinez said no one knew why something like this would happen to the family. He said the police were baffled, and those in the club were baffled.

"The investigation is up in the air," he said.

Elizabeth Grimaldi said Heredia had worked for her daughter at Banners Plus. She had worked in the sign department since 2001 and as an engraver.

"Adrienne was a very good worker," she said. "She was always there."

Like many others in Yuma, Grimaldi and Block expressed shock when they heard the news of what had occurred Friday night.

Block said he was in Las Vegas working on boxing matters when he received the news. "It's too shocking to be believed. I'm numb," he said. "I don't believe I've ever been so shocked."

To murder six people, Block said it seemed that it might have taken more than one person to do it. He called the incident a "degree of evil" that he was not accustomed to.

"I felt that God took timeout," Block said. "He was out of town when this happened. I still believe in the Almighty, but this shakes me as a human being."

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Jeffrey Gautreaux can be reached at jgautreaux@yumasun.com or 539-6858.