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Suspect arrested in Yuma Interstate 8 hit-and-run

By ,
May 19, 2025 3:32 PM
Published 4:01 PM

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A suspect has been arrested in connection to a hit-and-run which left one person dead.

The suspect, 36-year-old Donovan Jamal Thomas of Scott, Louisiana, was located in the state of New York, where he was taken into custody and was extradited to Yuma last Friday, May 16.

This is in connection to the hit-and-run from December of 2024, which left 34-year-old Ijah Se'lah Smith, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, dead.

After being extradited back to Yuma, Thomas was booked into the Yuma County Detention Center for first degree murder, kidnapping, and leaving the scene of an accident with death or injury.

Smith's family was notified and Thomas's bond is currently set for $1 million.

PR-2024-76-Fatality-Collision-(Homicide)-Update-2Download

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Dillon Fuhrman

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Jailene Aguilera

Jailene Aguilera joined KYMA in April 2023. She is the anchor/producer for CBS at 6 and 10 pm. If you have any story ideas, contact Jailene at jailene.aguilera@kecytv.com.

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