West
California farming tycoon arrested in wife’s killing
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A California farming tycoon was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of murder in the shooting death of his wife in an Arizona mountain community.
The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office named Michael Abatti, 63, as the suspect in the murder of his wife, 59-year-old Kerri Ann Abatti.
On Nov. 20, at approximately 9:20 p.m., Navajo County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived in Pinetop, Arizona, at the scene of an apparent homicide and found Kerri Ann Abatti dead from a gunshot wound, according to the sheriff’s office. Less than two weeks later, on Dec. 2, detectives executed search warrants on residences, properties, vehicles and camp trailers in El Centro, California, that were “associated with the Abatti family.”
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Michael Abatti was arrested on suspicion of the murder of his wife, Kerri Abatti. (Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
On Tuesday, detectives provided testimony to a Navajo County grand jury and obtained an indictment and arrest warrant from the Navajo County Superior Court. Michael was taken into custody that same day and was booked into the Imperial County Jail. The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office said Michael was booked on charges of violating Arizona Revised Statutes 13-1105 and first-degree murder. He is awaiting extradition to Arizona.
The home of Michael Abatti on Dec. 12, 2025, in El Centro, California. (Gregory Bull/AP Photo)
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“We extend our sincere condolences to Kerri’s family and to all those affected by this tragedy,” Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse said in a statement. He thanked those who worked on the case, as well as those who served on the Grand Jury, crediting them for “helping bring justice to the Abatti family.”
Michael and Kerri Abatti lived in El Centro before Kerri left in 2023 for Pinetop-Lakeside, her hometown, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Divorce filings seen by the LA Times reportedly showed that Kerri accused her husband of blocking her attempts to get the full picture of their income and real estate holdings while he made changes to their finances without consulting her or her attorney. She also claimed that she was struggling on the monthly spousal support that the court temporarily awarded her, according to the LA Times.
Agricultural fields in Imperial Valley.
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Michael Abatti comes from a long line of farmers and owns one of the largest agricultural operations in the Imperial Valley, according to reports. Additionally, he reportedly served as a member of the Imperial Irrigation District from 2006 to 2010. He grew several crops, including onions, broccoli and cantaloupes, CBS News reported. The outlet added that Michael and Kerri Abatti were married in 1992 and had three children.
The Imperial County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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San Francisco, CA
San Francisco hotels see steady World Cup business, but fall short of Super Bowl surge
Bay Area bars and restaurants are packed for World Cup watch parties this week, but San Francisco hotels are not seeing the same sell-out crowds experienced during the Super Bowl earlier this year.
While the Super Bowl brought a concentrated week of events that sent hotel prices soaring into the thousands, the World Cup spans more than a month. The extended timeline has resulted in a slower, steadier trickle of out-of-town soccer fans booking rooms.
The Bay Area has several exciting matches on the schedule at Levi’s Stadium, but none feature top-seeded teams or the mega-star power seen when “Messi mania” previously swept the region.
“We knew we weren’t going to get any of the first-place teams. We weren’t going to get Brazil, or Germany, or any of the teams carrying big fan bases — Messi, Ronaldo,” said Alex Bastian, CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. “But that being said, this is still such a great thing, because people are coming here from around the world.”
Bastian noted that the city’s hospitality industry is still in a strong position for the summer.
“We have a great convention calendar for the month of June, and because we were prepared, we’re doing much better compared to our colleagues across the country,” he said.
A significant surge in hotel bookings could still happen if Levi’s Stadium secures a match featuring Team USA. That possibility grew stronger following the U.S. team’s 2-0 win over Australia on Friday.
“I’m really excited about Team USA. I’m USA all the way,” Bastian added. “I’m hopeful that when that game is played here, the world will come check out San Francisco as well.”
Denver, CO
Rockies ride Kyle Freeland’s gem, Braxton Fulford’s double to 4-3 win over Pirates
The night belonged to Kyle Freeland, who joined the 1,000 K Club. The moment belonged to Braxton Fulford. The ninth inning — and a big sigh of relief — belonged to closer Antonio Senzatela.
Fulford hit a two-run, two-out, pinch-hit double in the eighth inning off Mason Montgomery to lead the Rockies to a 4-3 win over the Pirates at Coors Field in front of a Friday night crowd of 33,596.
Fulford drove in Tyler Freeman and Cole Carrigg, who scratched out back-to-back two-out singles off Montgomery.
“I had been warming up in the cage for that at-bat for a couple of innings, so I felt pretty prepared,” Fulford said. “I got an advantage count (3-1) and I knew he was going to come with the heater and I was all over it.”
Fulford caught Montgomery for three seasons at Texas Tech, so he knew the left-hander’s tendencies.
“It’s kind of unfortunate for pitchers that you catch, because you kind of get to see their stuff,” Fulford said. “You kind of understand more of who they are. So I do feel like I had the advantage there.”
In the ninth, the Pirates loaded the bases against Senzatela with no outs on a single by Marcell Ozuna and an error on a groundball by shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. But Senzatela struck out pinch-hitter Tyler Callihan and induced Jared Triolo to ground to Tovar, who started the game-ending double play.
“It was kind of a crazy ending to the game — bases loaded and no outs,” Freeland said. ” ‘Senza’ got a big punchout in that situation, picks up Tovar. Then Tovar gets another opportunity to turn a double play, and he gets it done.”
Before all of the late-game drama, Freeland pitched his best game of the season: 7 1/3 innings, two runs allowed on four hits, no walks, and eight strikeouts. It marked the fourth time in his career that he pitched 7 1/3 or more innings.
“Tonight, I thought he was absolutely exceptional,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “I thought his body language was impressive. He attacked the strike zone — relentlessly. His heater had good ‘vert’ tonight. The breaker was good. It seemed like he was in control all night.”
“Gritty” is the word often used to describe Freeland. Dominant was a more apt description on Friday night. History-making works, too. Freeland’s eight Ks gave him 1,001 for his career, joining right-hander German Marquez (1,069) as the only two pitchers in franchise history to eclipse 1,000. Freeland struck out Marcell Ozuna in the seventh for No. 1,000, and then promptly fanned Brandon Lowe for 1,001.
The hard-core Rockies fans behind the dugout gave Freeland a standing ovation.
“I’m very grateful for the fans always supporting me, and for making it this long in my career to reach some of these milestones, especially with one ballclub,” said Freeland, who struck out eight and walked none for the second time in his career. “I definitely hear those fans when I pop out of the dugout after every inning.”
The 33-year-old Denver native blanked the Pirates for the first seven innings, giving up just two hits. Pittsburgh finally got to Freeland in the eighth, putting up back-to-back doubles by Esmerlyn Valdez and Triolo to cut Colorado’s lead to 2-1. Up to that point, it looked as if Freeland had the juice to throw a complete game, especially since he threw just 81 pitches.
Freeland was pulled in the eighth for right-hander Jaden Hill, who gave up an RBI single up the middle to pinch-hitter Bryan Reynolds, tying the game, 2-2. Then Hill hit leadoff hitter Spencer Horowitz, and Nick Gonzalez scorched a triple off the right-field wall, scoring Horowitz and giving the Pirates a 3-2 lead.
Colorado staked a 1-0 lead in the third against hard-throwing right-hander Bubba Chandler. Willi Castro’s single scored Ezequiel Tovar, who reached on a bunt single.
The Rockies extended their lead to 2-0 in the fourth on rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield’s leadoff homer. He sent Chandler’s first-pitch slider 427 feet into the right-field seats. It was Rumfield’s 11th homer and his 38th RBI.
Pitching probables
Saturday: Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (6-6, 2.85 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (7-4, 4.54), 7:10 p.m.
Sunday: Pirates RHP Jared Jones (1-1, 6.23) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-8, 7.13), 1:10 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM
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Seattle, WA
Suarez’s no-hit try ends on Naylor double in seventh, but Boston still tops Seattle
Ranger Suarez carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Friday night.
Suarez (3-3) struck out five and walked three in 6 2/3 innings. His no-hit bid ended with Josh Naylor’s one-out double in the seventh.
The 30-year-old lefty earned his first win since April 27 against Toronto.
Caleb Durbin put the Red Sox ahead with a second-inning solo homer, his fifth of the year. Durbin had his second three-hit game this season, with his first coming against Tampa Bay on June 10.
Ceddanne Rafaela scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, and Marcelo Mayer drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single.
Carlos Narváez added a sacrifice fly before Seattle finally escaped the inning on a diving catch by Dominic Canzone in right field.
Suarez issued a two-out walk that loaded the bases in the seventh on his final pitch of the night, but Justin Slaten ended the threat by striking out pinch-hitter J.P. Crawford to preserve a 5-0 lead.
Mayer added one more insurance run with a ninth-inning RBI double. The Mariners got on the board thanks to Julio Rodríguez’s two-run homer in the ninth.
Seattle starter Bryce Miller (3-1) struck out seven in five innings. He allowed three hits and one run.
Luis Castillo, who has started in all but three of his 258 career appearances, gave up five runs in four innings of relief as the Mariners revived their “piggyback” rotation.
Up next
Red Sox LHP Connelly Early (5-5, 3.81 ERA) starts opposite Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (5-3, 3.28) on Saturday night.
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