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A Deming man was sentenced Tuesday for his role in the murder of a Deming teen in 2008.
District Court Judge Daniel Viramontes said the plea agreement entered into by 21-year-old Joshua Tena was accepted by the court; Tena pleaded guilty to two counts of tampering with evidence in the November 2008 death of 15-year-old Luther Lopez Garcia.
In exchange for pleading guilty to the two counts and testifying truthfully against co-defendant Alvar Aguirre, the charge of accessory to commit murder was dropped.
Tena was sentenced to three years on each count to run concurrently... and Viramontes said he had fulfilled his time because he had been incarcerated since the murder.
Garcia's body was found in the bushes near the river bed off Peru Mill Road northwest of Deming on November 7th, 2008.
An autopsy report revealed he had been shot multiple times -- and any of four of the wounds could have been fatal.
Garcia's vehicle -- a 1997 white-colored Chevrolet Tahoe -- was found abandoned in the 1200 block of Apache Hills Northwest.
The tampering with evidence charges are for attempting to hide the body and moving the vehicle.
Aguirre was acquitted of all charges by a jury in November of last year.
Garcia was a sophomore at Deming High School who would have turned 16 the month he was killed.
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Children starting kindergarten in the fall at either Chaparral or Memorial elementary schools may be eligible to participate in the Start Smart K-3 Plus program.
Researchers are looking into whether New Mexico's K-3 Plus program helps children succeed in school... and are looking for families willing to take part in a four-year study.
If your child is eligible for the study, you will receive 50-dollars this spring after completing the first set of surveys and your child is tested in vocabulary, reading and math.
Then you will receive another 50-dollars in the fall after completing a second set of surveys and your child has completed a fall assessment.
In addition you will be paid one-hundred dollars a year for staying enrolled and completing research measures through your child's third-grade year.
Eligible children are chosen at random to get an extra 25-days of summer learning before they begin kindergarten in August. Children selected for summer learning before they start kinder will have the option of continuing with an extra 25 days of summer school each year.
Sign-up dates are next Tuesday, February 7th at Chaparral... and next Wednesday, February 8th at Memorial from 8:30 to 11 and 1 to 3 -- the same days and times as kindergarten preregistration.
An additional sign-up will be held at both schools from 8:30 to noon next Saturday, February 11th.
_Mark you calendars: Deming's Annual Home and Garden Show is planned for the end of next month.
Organizers with the Deming Home Builders Association say the third annual Home and Garden Show will be Saturday, March 31st from 9 a-m to 5 p-m at the Mimbres Valley Learning and Special Events Center.
The event is designed to offer great ideas and options to homeowners on how to update their homes. There will be lots of prizes to win as well.
Admission will be three-dollars; children ages 10 and under get in free.
Again... the Deming Home Builders Association will present its third annual Home and Garden Show on Saturday, March 31st from 9 a-m to 5 p-m at the Mimbres Valley Learning and Special Events Center.
_Benjamin Jimenez, age 23, was arrested for driving while license was suspended or revoked, unlawful use of a license and speeding... Priscilla Torres, age 21, was arrested for shoplifting at Kmart and was cited for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia... Javier Rangel, age 26, of Albuquerque, was arrested on a District Court warrant for failure to appear... Robert Baquera, age 41, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to pay fines... and a 17-year-old boy was cited for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.
Also... windows were broken on several vehicles parked at the Luna County Road Department off J Street in the industrial park... and a 34-year-old Deming man reported being the victim of identity theft after learning that his Social Security number was unlawfully being used by someone else.
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A former Luna County Detention Center officer has been arrested on child rape charges.
30-year-old Roy Lewis was arrested Monday in Arizona on charges stemming from his attack of a seven-year-old female family member in 2006 and 2007 in Luna County.
The girl, now age 12, only recently confided in adults that she was raped by Lewis.
Lewis is charged with three counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor, three counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor, three counts of kidnapping, bribery or intimidation of a witness and assault with intent to commit a violent felony.
The girl told Luna County Sheriff's investigators that Lewis handcuffed her during the rapes and threatened her and her family if she told anyone.
Lewis worked as a private security guard in Silver City and was employed by the Grant County Detention Center as an officer before working at the Luna County Detention Center.
He presently works as a truck driver at a mine near Morenci, Arizona.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in New Mexico say they've made an unusual seizure -bundles of marijuana stashed inside wood-framed and mirrored quinceanera plaques. An 18-year-old Colorado woman has been arrested in the case. A pickup truck entered the Columbus port from neighboring Palomas, Mexico, about noon Sunday and the vehicle was selected for a secondary exam. Officers found numerous boxes filled with quinceanera decorations and noticed an anomaly in several of the plaques. CBP officers dismantled the plaques and recovered 104 pounds of marijuana wrapped in 100 thin, rectangular wrapped packages. Authorities say Tahlia Arana Perea, of Denver, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. It was unclear Monday whether Perea has legal representation yet.
Kindergarten preregistration for the 2012-2013 school year is beginning a month earlier than past years.
The first elementary to preregister will be Chaparral. Preregistration at Chaparral will take place next Tuesday, February 7th.
To be eligible for kindergarten, a child must have reached his or her fifth birthday by August 31st, 2012.
Parents or guardians must bring their child to preregistration, along with his or her birth certificate, proof of residency and immunization records. The kindergarten teacher will meet with the child and parent or guardian as part of the registration process to do a skill assessment of the student.
Immunization boosters will be provided for students needing them.
Children will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis at each building.
Registration at each school will take place from 8:30am to 11:30am and 1:00pm to 3:00pm on the specified day.
preregistration at Chaparral will be followed the next day by preregistration at Memorial Elementary on Wednesday, February 8th, and the following day at Bell Elementary on Thursday, February 9th. Then there is a break and Bataan Elementary will preregister on Tuesday, March 6th, Torres Elementary on Wednesday, April 25th, and Columbus Elementary on Friday, May 4th.
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