JADED EVIDENCE · INTERACTIVE INVESTIGATION CASE FILE
Ariya Salas: George Salas and Karina Yanes Prosecution
Updated October 24, 2026 · Browse investigations · Trials & Court Proceedings
Case overview and current legal status
George James Salas faces second-degree murder, child-abuse and drug charges over the death of his eleven-month-old daughter Ariya. Her mother, Karina Lucia Yanes, faces felony child abuse with a death-resulting allegation. The parents face different charges and are presumed innocent. [1]
Court and jurisdiction
Ventura County Superior Court, court number 26CF101743. The DA’s September 29 release sets continued arraignments for October 26, 2026, at 1:30 p.m., courtroom 13. [1]
Prosecutors and defense attorneys
Senior Deputy District Attorney Audry Nafziger and Deputy District Attorney Devin Mirchi prosecute through the Major Crimes Narcotics Unit. The release does not name defense counsel. [1]
Victim background
Ariya was eleven months old when emergency personnel took her from her Simi Valley home to a hospital in December 2025. She was pronounced dead; KCLU reports that an autopsy determined fentanyl intoxication. [2]
People and documented roles
George Salas: Ariya’s father, reportedly caring for her when she became unresponsive. Karina Yanes: her mother, who had gone to work. Simi Valley Police: investigating agency. [2]
Interactive timeline
December 6, 2025 — Ariya dies
The DA identifies this as the date Ariya became unresponsive while in her father’s care. [1]
September 28–29, 2026 — First appearances and announcement
The parents appeared in court on September 28; prosecutors announced the case the next day. [1]
October 26, 2026 — Continued arraignments
The announced hearing is an arraignment setting, not the start of trial. [1]
Investigation and evidence
Cause of death
KCLU reports an autopsy finding of fentanyl intoxication. That reported finding does not, by itself, identify precisely how the child encountered the substance. [2]
Home evidence and care arrangement
Police reportedly recovered fentanyl and drug paraphernalia from the room where Ariya was found. Prosecutors describe the father’s fentanyl-use history and the mother’s absence at work. [2]
Prosecution and defense positions
Prosecution: the parents’ alleged conduct exposed a vulnerable infant to a lethal drug. Salas’s murder allegation must be distinguished from Yanes’s child-abuse charge. Defense: no substantive defense account appears in these sources. [1]
Courtroom developments
KCLU’s September 29 coverage says the parents had not yet entered pleas. The official release documents initial appearances and continued arraignments; neither source describes a trial. [2]
Witnesses and testimony
The reports identify emergency responders, police and medical findings, but do not provide a trial witness list.
Verdict, sentencing and appeals
The reviewed sources report charges, not a verdict or sentence. The September release’s custody and bail figures describe that stage of the case; they do not establish the outcome of later bail proceedings.
Key questions and documented answers
How did Ariya ingest fentanyl? These sources establish the alleged exposure and reported cause of death, but not the complete exposure pathway. What did each parent know? That must be established separately. Are both charged with murder? No: the DA identifies the murder charge against Salas, while Yanes faces child abuse.