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Local Crime Report for Wednesday September 25, 2013

9/25/2013

(Deming) – Here’s the area crime report:

     Andrew Seebaran, age 53, was arrested for DUI… Ariana Carreon, age 27, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute…

     David Del-Rio, age 26, was arrested on two Magistrate warrants for failure to pay fines… Jason Thompson, age 33, was arrested on two Magistrate warrants – one for failure to pay fines and one for failure to appear…

     Guadalupe Atwell, age 30, of Las Cruces, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to pay fines… Jesus Bustillos, age 27, of Columbus, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to appear… Dale Dorrance, age 52, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to pay fines… Anthony Quintana, age 42, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to appear… and a 15-year-old boy was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia.

     Also… cash, jewelry and an electronic gaming system with a combined value of $400 were taken from a residence off Juarez Street.

Deming School Board Meets Thursday

9/25/2013

(Deming) – The Deming School Board will meet in regular session this Thursday.

     The regular monthly meeting was postponed a week from the usual meeting date of the third-Thursday of the month.

     Included on the agenda is the Deming Cesar Chavez Charter High School lease agreement… a resolution and agreement with the Southwest Council of Governments… a bid proposal for Bell Elementary parking lot improvements… a resolution identifying a partnership with Deming/Luna County Arts and Culture… a resolution with the Deming Luna Mimbres Museum… approval of school advisory committee members… and the final resolution transferring the Old Columbus Elementary School to the Village of Columbus.

     Also, Superintendent Harvielee Moore and her staff will give a report on “Making the Grade.”

     The meeting is set to begin at 5 p.m. Thursday in the board room of the Emmett Shockley Administration Building, 400 Cody Road. The meeting will be open to the public.
     An executive – or closed – session to discuss limited personnel, pending or threatened litigation and the purchase, acquisition or disposal of real property will precede the open meeting at 4 p.m.

     And a work session to review summer school data and discuss a presentation from the Department of Health will precede the executive session at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

Deming High School Burglarized

9/25/2013

(Deming) – Someone broke into Deming High School late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning and took nearly $1,100 worth of cash and items from the copy center.

     Deming Police Captain Bobby Orosco said they are still investigating how the burglars gained access to the interior of the school, but it appeared access to the copy center was gained by using the base of a fire extinguisher to break the window on the door.

     The copy center, located east of the library in the main high school building, serves as a small in-school store for limited school supplies and some Wildcat merchandise.

     Taken from the room were two jackets, four hoodies, headphones, cash and checks.

     Orosco said they are collecting video surveillance and the investigation is ongoing.

Local Crime Report for Tuesday September 24, 2013

9/24/2013

(Deming) – Here’s the area crime report:

     Estella Contreras, age 23, was charged with battery against a household member… a 10-year-old boy was cited for battery… a 9-year-old girl was cited for battery… and a 15-year-old boy was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia.

     Also… six electric motors and a trailer with a portable toilet, with a combined value of $800, were taken from a farm located off the frontage road west of Deming… two window air-conditioners with a combined value of $350 were taken from a location off South Silver… and two bicycles were taken from a location off North Diamond.

     And in other news… city code enforcement officials tore down the make-shift housing located off East Cedar north of the former Proper Foods facility.

City Police to Host Picnic

9/24/2013

(Deming) – Deming police officers are reaching out to neighborhoods with various coordinated efforts, including a picnic this Saturday.

     The picnic will be held at Elsie Vega Park, located at Columbus and Pearl streets, this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

     Captain Bobbie Orosco said there will be free hot dogs, games and activities for the kids, goodie bags, music by Making Memories DJ Service and McGruff the Crime Dog will make an appearance.

     The picnic is being hosted by the Deming Police Department and is sponsored, in part, by Luna Energy Facility.

Luna County Attends Gathering of Counties at State Fair

9/24/2013

Economic Development Director Linda Smrkovsky

(Deming) – Luna County was represented in the 10th Annual Gathering of Counties last week during the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque.

     The gathering, designed to showcase the unique contributions of each of the state’s 33 counties, is sponsored by the New Mexico Association of Counties and the New Mexico Department of Tourism.

     The event was held on the “New Mexico True” theme day at the state fair, which was last Thursday.

     County Manager Kelly Kuenstler said Luna County was one of several counties that set up booths along Main Street at the fair to provide information on county services, local attractions and the history of the county.

     Representing Luna County were Marketing and Economic Development Director Linda Smrkovsky and Kuenstler.

     Kuenstler said most of the questions asked were about the duck races, the history of Columbus, Rockhound State Park, local wineries, tax rates and the climate.

Deming Man In Hospital After Rollover Accident

9/24/2013

(Deming) – A Deming man was injured in a rollover accident early Monday morning near Eighth Street and Solana Road.

     The man, 20-year-old Sergio Beltran, was taken by ambulance to Mimbres Memorial Hospital, and then transported to University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, with head injuries.

     According to a Luna County Sheriff’s Department report, it appeared that Beltran was driving a 2005 Saturn south on Eighth Street at about 6:20 a.m. Monday when he sideswiped a power pole, causing him to lose control of the vehicle which then rolled several times and eventually stopped in a pecan orchard.

     Beltran was cited for careless driving.

Burnett Trial Underway in Albuquerque

9/24/2013

Albuquerque Journal photo Danny Burnett

(Albuquerque) – A federal trial is underway in Albuquerque for a man accused of leaking word of wiretaps that were part of a 2011 investigation into a Columbus gun smuggling ring.

     The Albuquerque Journal reports that Danny Burnett has pleaded innocent.

     Burnett is the husband of Paula Burnett, an assistant U.S. attorney, and is accused to telling his friend Angelo Vega about the wiretaps.

     Vega was the Columbus Police Chief at the time, and eventually pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy, aiding in the smuggling of weapons and extortion.

     Burnett, who retired as superintendent of the Los Lunas School District in 2003, and Vega reportedly were friends from their days in Lincoln County in the 1990s, where Vega was a deputy sheriff and Burnett, an educator.

     Vega was charged with providing security for the gun smuggling operation, earning $20,000 in a two-month period while running interference for Columbus Town Trustee Blas “Woody” Gutierrez. Gutierrez also pleaded guilty to charges against him.

     Vega was helping Gutierrez by buying police equipment, including bulletproof vests, identifying law enforcement undercover vehicles and generally running interference with federal and state law enforcement agencies.

     Another man – Ignacio "Nacho" Villalobos – who allegedly led the gun smuggling ring, subsequently fled and remains a fugitive from charges of conspiracy and firearms smuggling.

     Paula Burnett, the government lawyer who is married to the defendant, has denied knowing about the wiretaps or telling her husband about the investigation.

Local Crime Report for Monday September 23, 2013

9/23/2013

(Deming) – Here’s the area crime report:

     Florencio Meza, age 29, was arrested for DUI and careless driving… Carlos Hernandez, age 20, was arrested for DUI… Raynaldo Barrio, age 48, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, breaking and entering and causing criminal damage to property.

     Shaun Plant, age 28, was arrested for battery against a household member and false imprisonment… Ivan Lester, age 86, of Columbus, was arrested for battery against a household member…

     Misael Hinojos, age 18, was arrested for trespassing, interference with officers, concealing identity, drunkenness and minor allowing self to be served alcohol… Bernabe Franco, age 20, was arrested for reckless driving and interference with officers… Scott Garner, age 30, of Tucson, Arizona, was arrested for reckless driving.

     Jason Alvarez, age 31, was arrested on an Adult Probation and Parole Office warrant for a probation violation… Robert Shores, age 35, was arrested on a District Court warrant for a probation violation… Andres Calderon, age 24, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to pay fines… Jaime Ruiz-Rascon, age 31, of Sunland Park, was arrested on a Sierra County warrant for failure to pay fines… Rosa Calderon, age 49, was arrested on a Municipal warrant for failure to pay fines… Jeremy Garcia, age 25, was cited for two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia… Craig Jackson, age 33, was cited for shoplifting at Wal-Mart… and Myriah Ryan, age 27, was cited for shoplifting at Wal-Mart.

     In juvenile news… a 17-year-old boy was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and trespassing at Deming High School.

     And in other news… a tractor, electric tools and hand tools with a combined value of nearly $3,700 were taken from a residence off Murrieta Road Southwest… a radio-controlled car and parts valued at $900 were taken from a vehicle parked off South Tin… an MP3 player valued at $400 was taken from a classroom… sub-woofers and a radar detector with a combined value of over $300 were taken from a vehicle parked off Norte Road Southeast… a satellite radio receiver, binoculars and a first-aid kit with a combined value of nearly $300 were taken from a vehicle parked off South Mesilla… a 62-year-old Deming man reported that two checks of his were forged and cashed for nearly $200… and a breaking-and-entering was reported a apartments off East Spruce.

Deming School Board Meets Tuesday

9/23/2013

(Deming) – The Deming School Board will meet in special session Tuesday.

According to the legal notice, the purpose of the meeting is for board members to attend the Fall 2013 Region VIII meeting of the New Mexico School Board Association in Reserve.

The association meeting is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. at Reserve Independent Schools in Reserve. The meeting is open to the public, and no action specific to Deming Public Schools will be taken.