Spring Rains Could Cause Later Fire Season – The Associated Press and Santa Fe New Mexican
Forecasters say more wet weather is making its way to New Mexico, which could result in a second fire season from August to October.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports fire management officer for the Santa Fe and Carson national forests, Bill King, says grass growth and wet snows from the rainy spring can dry out quickly.
The middle of June is typically when New Mexico can expect its peak fire season. The larger fire season, which can take out tens of thousands of acres, usually ends in early July.
But recent wet weather has delayed big fire season worries.
King says the state is still in a drought and another bad fire season could be in store later this year.
Police Officer That Fatally Shot 19-Year-Old Still Certified – The Associated Press
A former Albuquerque police officer who shot and killed a woman still has his police certification.
KOAT-TV reports the Law Enforcement Agency Board sent Jeremy Dear a letter of caution this week, which means he can still be an officer in New Mexico.
Last year, Dear fatally shot 19-year-old Mary Hawkes.
Dear had been chasing Hawkes, who was suspected of car theft, on foot. Police say Hawkes pointed a gun at Dear, so he shot her.
Dear had been wearing a body camera that wasn't on during the incident. He said it had malfunctioned.
According to the Albuquerque Police Department, Dear was fired in December for insubordination and untruthfulness.
Dear's attorney, Tom Grover, says he will make sure people are held accountable in Dear's case.
Albuquerque Firefighters Contain Fire At Business – The Associated Press
Albuquerque firefighters were able to keep a fire in a furniture business from spreading to two adjacent businesses in a strip mall.
The Fire Department says smoke from the fire was visible from miles away as firefighters headed to Rodeo Rustic Furniture at 111 Carlisle Northeast Thursday morning.
According to the department, firefighters were able to put out the fire within 30 minutes.
Further details were not immediately available.
Ranchers Mourn Wildlife Employees Killed In Plane Crash – The Associated Press
Federal investigators say two men killed when their single-engine plane crashed in northeastern New Mexico were on a coyote hunting mission for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services program.
The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report on Friday's crash near Raton. Pilot Kelly Hobbs and wildlife specialist Shannon "Bubba" Tunnell were killed.
GPS data shows the plane came in low so Tunnell could shoot a coyote. The spotter on the ground heard gunshots as he watched the animal through binoculars. Moments later, he heard the plane hit the ground.
Ranchers are mourning the men, saying their work kept coyotes from preying on cattle and sheep.
But environmentalists are pointing to the dangers, saying they want the federal government to scrap the aerial gunning program.
Inspector General Report Third To Critique Taser Contract – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
Albuquerque's inspector general says the Albuquerque Police Department gave Taser International an unfair advantage when it awarded the company a no-bid body camera contract in 2013.
The Albuquerque Journal reports Inspector General Peter Pacheco on Wednesday released the third report since April to criticize the deal, also saying the company was given access to information that wasn't readily available.
The report was partly delayed by Pacheco's contention that meals or perks accepted by Police Chief Ray Schultz were probable conflict of interest violations. The Accountability in Government Oversight Committee said the violations were "possible" or "potential" rather than probable.
Pacheco's report follows an internal city audit in May followed one in April by State Auditor Tim Keller.
Schultz's attorney Luis Robles has said the department's dealings with the company were handled according to city code.
Lawsuit: Police Stormed New Mexico Home At 3 AM, No Warrant – The Associated Press
A New Mexico family says two Edgewood officers barged into its home without a warrant during a teen sleepover.
A lawsuit recently filed on behalf of Viveca Weiss in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque claims Edgewood officers Hellen Gonzalez and Tony Romero unlawfully entered the Weiss home at 3 a.m. last December while searching for a runaway teen.
Court papers say the runaway teen wasn't at the home but officers woke up a group of male teens to question them. When one teen joked he was going to commit suicide, the lawsuit says Gonzalez ordered paramedics to take the boy for a psychiatric evaluation.
Gonzalez also is facing a complaint from fellow officers over allegations of arresting people without warrants.
Edgewood Town Administrator Steve Shepherd declined to comment.
Wells Fargo Settles Lawsuit With New Mexico Employee Group – The Associated Press
A group representing retired public employees in New Mexico has announced that Wells Fargo has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a dispute over loses with Wachovia Bank.
The Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico said Thursday that the San Francisco-based Wells Fargo agreed to the payment to settle disputed claims with losses in the group's securities lending portfolio.
The PERA board sued the Wachovia Bank for breach of contract and fiduciary duty to recover losses.
Wells Fargo bought Wachovia Bank in 2008.
Under the terms of the agreement, Wells Fargo denied any wrongdoing.
Wells Fargo spokeswoman Mary Eshet did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press.
AG Looks To Speed Up Behavioral Health Investigation - The Associated Press
The New Mexico attorney general's office is seeking forensic auditors to help with the investigation into allegations of fraud and abuse involving nonprofits that provided behavioral health services to needy New Mexicans.
Attorney General Hector Balderas announced Wednesday in Espanola that he has issued a request for proposals in hopes of speeding up the investigation.
Balderas' office is continuing to investigate 12 of 15 nonprofit providers as a result of an audit done by the state Human Services Department in 2013.
That audit alleged $36 million in state Medicaid funding was mishandled by the providers. That prompted Republican Gov. Susana Martinez's administration to freeze Medicaid payments to the providers while the attorney general's office launched an inquiry.
With more resources, Balderas says the investigation could be complete in six months.
Man Accused Of Killing Officer Indicted On Federal Charges - The Associated Press
A New Mexico man accused of fatally shooting a Rio Rancho police officer during a traffic stop has been indicted on federal firearms charges.
U.S. Attorney Damon Martinez announced Thursday that a federal grand jury indicted 28-year-old Andrew Romero for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
A criminal complaint says Romero was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition since he previously has been convicted of multiple felonies, including voluntary manslaughter.
Romero is facing multiple charges, including murder, in the death of Officer Gregg Benner last month. If convicted, he could face a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
According to a criminal complaint, Romero acknowledged shooting at Benner but says he didn't know whether he struck the officer.
Bernalillo Officials Approve Jail Oversight Board - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
A new nine-member board will handle investigations into allegations of violence and staff misconduct at Metropolitan Detention Center, one of the 40 largest jails in the country.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Bernalillo County commissioners voted unanimously to approve the board on Tuesday.
Members will have expertise in law, finances, medicine or behavioral health. Five will represent each district and four will be at-large members.
Lt. Stephen Perkins leads the corrections officers union and says he's concerned about the qualifications for board membership.
He says members should have corrections experience because something that appears shocking to an outsider might be perfectly legal.
County Attorney Randy Autio recommended approval of the measure. He says it will provide strong oversight if the county ends its 20-year litigation over the jail's conditions.
Man Who Shot Himself While Surrounding By Police Identified - The Associated Press
Police have identified a northern New Mexico man who fatally shot himself while in a standoff with police.
New Mexico State Police say Kelly J. Wood shot himself while surrounding by police. An officer from the Jicarilla Police Department also fired his weapon twice, but the bullets did not strike Wood.
Police were called to campground near Dulce on June 2 after a woman reported her boyfriend had injured her during an altercation.
The Albuquerque Journal reports Wood came out holding his gun when police arrived. Officers told Wood to put his gun down, but he shot himself instead.
State police say it's unclear whether the Jicarilla officer who discharged his gun fired before or after Wood shot himself. That officer has been identified as Eli Notsinneh, a five-year veteran.
Fatal Stabbing Suspect To Be Charged As Adult - The Associated Press
Authorities say a 17-year-old boy suspected of fatally stabbing a man during a party in the Las Cruces area will be charged as an adult.
Dona Ana County sheriff's officials announced the arrest Monday night of a 17-year-old youth on suspicion of murder in the fatal wounding of 20-year-old Carlos Contreras early Saturday during an argument at a party in the East Mesa area.
Contreras was airlifted to an El Paso hospital, where he died during surgery. Prosecutors are pursuing a grand jury indictment of first-degree murder.
The Associated Press generally does not publish the names of juveniles allegedly involved in crimes.
Girl Attacked 7 Years Ago Remembers Details - The Associated Press
Albuquerque police are asking for help finding the man responsible for a near-fatal attack on a high school student that took place nearly seven years ago.
Police say the girl went home for lunch on Nov. 11, 2008, and was attacked by a man when she arrived.
The girl was nearly killed and has been recovering from her injuries. She has also started remembering more details about her attacker and said he may have been an acquaintance.
The girl's mother walked in on the attack, and the man fled after threatening her with a knife, police said.
Multi-Agency Effort Nets Arrest Of 60 Probation Violators - The Associated Press and Roswell Daily Record
Dozens of probation violators are back in jail as part of an arrest warrant roundup being conducted by law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal level.
The Roswell Daily Record reports 60 arrests were made over the weekend in the third phase of a five-part crackdown on individuals who have violated their probation.
Roswell Police spokesman Todd Wildermuth says investigations led law enforcement officers to residences where most of the wanted individuals were arrested, with 16 in or around Roswell.
The United States Marshals Service, FBI and New Mexico State Police are a few of the agencies taking part in the effort focused on six southeast New Mexico counties.
Lawsuit: Police Stormed New Mexico Home At 3 Am, No Warrant - The Associated Press
A New Mexico family says two Edgewood officers barged into its home without a warrant during a teen sleepover.
A lawsuit recently filed on behalf of Viveca Weiss in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque claims Edgewood officers Hellen Gonzalez and Tony Romero unlawfully entered the Weiss home at 3 a.m. last December while searching for a runaway teen.
Court papers say the runaway teen wasn't at the home but officers woke up a group of male teens to question them. When one teen joked he was going to commit suicide, the lawsuit says Gonzalez ordered paramedics to take the boy for a psychiatric evaluation.
Gonzalez also is facing a complaint from fellow officers over allegations of arresting people without warrants.
Edgewood Town Administrator Steve Shepherd declined to comment.
Ranchers Mourn Wildlife Employees Killed In Plane Crash - The Associated Press
Federal investigators say the two men killed when their single-engine plane crashed in northeastern New Mexico last week were on a coyote hunting mission for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services program.
The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report on Friday's crash near Raton. Killed were pilot Kelly Hobbs and wildlife specialist Shannon "Bubba" Tunnell.
GPS data shows the plane came in low so Tunnell could shoot a coyote. The spotter on the ground heard two to three gunshots as he watched the animal through binoculars. Moments later, he heard the plane hit the ground.
Ranchers are mourning the men, saying their work kept coyotes from preying on cattle and sheep.
But environmentalists are pointing to the dangers, saying they want the federal government to scrap the aerial gunning program.
Lawyer Offers Free Estate Planning To Police Officers - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
An Albuquerque attorney is offering free estate planning to police officers in the wake the fatal shooting of a Rio Rancho police officer.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Michael Sanchez of the Rio Rancho Law Office whose uncle, Bernalillo County sheriff's Sgt. Julian Narvaez, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in 1969, says he decided to offer his services to law enforcement officers after officer Gregg Benner was killed in the line of duty May 26.
Sanchez says he will provide wills, trusts and other legal documents for officers who are killed or seriously injured.
Sanchez says he's offering the service to any officer in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho police, Bernalillo and Sandoval County sheriff's offices and New Mexico State Police.