STATE News

Suspect in Albuquerque Muslim killings denies involvement

8/10/2022

Photo released by the Albuquerque Police Department

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN, STEFANIE DAZIO and MARIAM FAM Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico court documents say that the suspect in the killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque denied any connection to the crimes that shook the city's small Muslim community after he was pulled over in a traffic stop by officers.
The documents made public Tuesday night say that Afghan immigrant Muhammad Syed told authorities through an interpreter that he was driving to Houston to look for a new home because of the Albuquerque violence.
Monday's arrest happened more than 100 miles from his home. The court documents say bullet casings found in Syed's vehicle matched the caliber of weapons believed to have been used in two of the killings.

Driver arrested in floodwaters death of passenger near Mora

8/9/2022

MORA, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say a Guadalupita man has been arrested for driving a pickup truck into floodwaters in Mora, allegedly leading to the death of his passenger. New Mexico State Police say 30-year-old John Vasquez has been booked into the San Miguel County jail on suspicion of vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and fleeing an accident with knowledge of death or great bodily harm. State Police received a call Sunday about witnesses seeing a pickup truck being swept away by floodwaters. Rescue personnel say Vasquez exited the vehicle and received first aid for minor injuries. Police say the truck was later recovered with the body of 64-year-old Benjamin Torres of Guadalupita inside and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Report details wreckage of fatal New Mexico helicopter crash

8/6/2022

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Federal transportation authorities say a helicopter that was returning home from a firefighting mission made a rapid descent before plowing into the ground last month, killing the four first responders on board.
  Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board released their preliminary report Friday. It noted that two witnesses on a ridge about half a mile away saw the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office helicopter go down without making any turns.
  It could take a year or more to determine the cause of the July 16 crash.
  The report also noted that the main wreckage was found upside down about 160 feet beyond the area where the helicopter first crashed.

New Mexico authorities investigate killings of 3 Muslim men

8/6/2022

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police in New Mexico's largest city are investigating whether the ambush shooting deaths of three Muslim men over the past nine months could be connected. Albuquerque police have confirmed that detectives and federal law enforcement officers are looking for possible ties among the separate crimes.
  The governor, Albuquerque's mayor and civil rights groups have raised concerns, saying violence against members of the community based on race or religion will not be tolerated.
  Police can't say yet if the shootings were hate crimes.
  Two of the men were killed in the past week. Both were from Pakistan and members of the same mosque.
  The other case dates to November when a Muslim man of South Asian descent was killed.

Compressor explodes in New Mexico grocery store; 2 injured

8/6/2022

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say two employees of an Albuquerque grocery store have been injured after a compressor exploded.
  City fire officials say two heating, ventilation and air conditioning specialists were working on the store's HVAC system Thursday morning.
  It's still unclear why the compressor exploded.
  Fire officials say the two employees were taken to a hospital for treatment of burns and blast injuries. Their names and medical conditions weren't immediately released.
  Fire officials say no toxic gas was released into the air from the explosion.

New Mexico officials: More monkeypox vaccinations on order

8/5/2022

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Only 10 monkeypox cases have been confirmed in New Mexico so far, and top health officials say there are no immediately concerns that the state will run out of vaccines any time soon.
  Officials with the state Health Department reported Thursday that all of the confirmed cases involve people who contracted the virus outside of New Mexico, indicating there has not yet been community spread.
  The state has nearly 1,000 vaccinations on hand and another 2,600 will be delivered over the coming months.
  Vaccinations are being targeted to those who have come in contact with someone who's infected. Meanwhile, officials said COVID-19 cases in the state have plateaued.

A race to save fish as Rio Grande dries, even in Albuquerque

8/3/2022

By BRITTANY PETERSON and SUMAN NAISHADHAM Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Rio Grande went dry in Albuquerque last week for the first time in four decades. With it went critical habitat of the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow, a shimmery, pinky-sized fish native to North America's fifth-longest river.
Summer storms have made the river wet again but experts warn the drying this far north is a sign of an increasingly fragile water supply, and that current conservation measures may not be enough to save the minnow and still provide water to nearby farms, backyards and parks.

New Mexico launches fund to train new police officers

8/3/2022

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico has established a new fund that will be dedicated to helping small law enforcement agencies statewide with the training of new police officers.
  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and other officials gathered in Albuquerque on Tuesday to announce the fund. With an initial investment of $800,000 through the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the fund will help agencies with the costs of certifying and equipping new officers.
  The funding is expected to support training for 80 new officers.
  State officials are hopeful the program will help address the shortfall in police officers around New Mexico.

Virgin Galactic planning an astronaut campus in New Mexico

8/3/2022

SIERRA COUNTY, N.M. (AP) — Aerospace and space travel company Virgin Galactic has announced it is planning to build an astronaut campus and training facility in southern New Mexico.
Company officials said in a statement Tuesday that it has secured land for the project outside Truth or Consequences near the location of Spaceport America.
They say the planned facility will include training facilities, accommodations, tailored experiences, an observatory, wellness center and dining options.
The facility will only be available to future astronauts of Virgin Galactic and some of their guests.
There's no immediate word on when construction of the project will begin.

Driver arrested in New Mexico crash that killed 2, hurt 10

8/2/2022

SANTA TERESA, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State Police say a Mexican man has been arrested for reckless driving in connection with a rollover crash that left two people dead and 10 others injured last week.
  They say 19-year-old Julio Garcia Rascon was driving an SUV at a high rate of speed around 5 a.m. on July 27 when it struck a utility pole and rolled near Santa Teresa close to the U.S.-Mexico border. Police say two passengers were ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
  Rascon and nine passengers were transported to a hospital in El Paso, Texas for treatment while one other passenger escaped injury.
  Rascon is jailed on suspicion of reckless driving, two counts of homicide by vehicle and 10 counts of great bodily injury by vehicle.