More details emerge about suspects in Las Cruces shooting - By Justin Garcia, Albuquerque Journal
The lone adult thus far charged in Friday night’s Las Cruces shooting faced prior charges in Texas for human smuggling.
Texas court records show that the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office charged Tomas Rivas, 20, with four counts of smuggling of persons and evading arrest in January 2024. He was also arrested in 2021, when he was 17, and charged with transporting an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States.
Those past and pending charges are being used in court records as evidence that Rivas is dangerous and that no conditions of release can protect the community, as the 3rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office seeks to hold him in jail.
For years, teens in the El Paso-Sunland Park area have been recruited into smuggling operations, a phenomenon that persists across the U.S. Mexico Borderland and has resulted in deaths after high-speed chases through the desert or El Paso streets. Border Patrol has been working with El Paso high schools, and even middle schools, to get ahead of the problem for more than a decade. Court records suggest that Rivas may have been involved in such an operation.
Rivas is one of four people — including two 17-year-old boys and one 15-year-old boy — charged in Friday night’s shooting at Young Park that resulted in three people dead and 15 injured. The three unidentified teenagers have each been charged with three counts of open murder in the first degree, as has Rivas.
Rivas was booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center just before 3 a.m. Sunday. Jail records show he was arrested at a residence on Las Cruces’ north side. The other unidentified teenagers were booked into the juvenile section of the jail.
Third Judicial District Attorney Fernando Macias told the Journal he intends to charge all four defendants as adults.
“The first thing that we’re going to address, hopefully very quickly, is keeping them in custody,” Macias said. “That’s going to be kind of the first step.”
Macias said anyone over 15 can be charged as an adult.
Police said Rivas was one of at least four people who began firing guns into a crowd during an unsanctioned car show at the Las Cruces park, killing Dominick Estrada, 19, Andrew “AJ” Madrid, 16, and Jason Gomez, 17.
A statement of probable cause, filed in the Doña Ana Magistrate Court, did not provide insight into what might have motivated the shooting. However, a witness told police two groups pulled out guns and started shooting at each other.
Rivas and one of the other teens tried to stash four guns in a nearby dumpster, according to court documents. However, the statement noted that police ultimately found those guns, which were all semi-automatic pistols, including a 9mm pistol, a .40 caliber and a .45 caliber.
Police also said in the statement that one of the teens rang the doorbell of a nearby apartment complex. The tenant said the teen looked panicked, so he let him inside. Later, the tenant said he discovered another gun in his apartment that belonged to the teen, police said.
Prosecutors have filed an expedited motion for pretrial detention to keep Rivas in jail. In it, they note that he’s been living in Las Cruces for “a significant period of time” and works as a carhop at a local Sonic. The motion also states that Rivas “has a history of criminal activity which appears to be gang-related.”
Rivas was scheduled for a first appearance Monday as Macias and the 3rd Judicial District Attorney’s office filed their motion requesting Rivas remain in jail. The Journal contacted Rivas’ attorney, Thomas Clark, who said he anticipated the detention hearing would occur later this week.
Clark also said that attorneys had been assigned to the defendants.
Video and 911 calls played by police detail chaos from deadly shooting in New Mexico - By Rio Yamat And Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
Police released video footage and 911 emergency calls Tuesday depicting chilling scenes of people running in panic as gunfire crackled in a New Mexico park where three people were killed and 15 others were wounded during an unauthorized car show.
One of the video recordings, taken by a bystander and shown by Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story at a news conference, captured a blue Mustang doing donuts in a parking lot Friday night just before gunfire erupts and people scatter.
The man recording the cellphone video is heard saying, "Oh my god, I just witnessed a murder!" before it ends. The police chief credited the man for putting his phone away and helping the wounded.
Authorities said the shooting at Young Park started after an altercation broke out between two groups during a gathering of about 200 people. In court documents, prosecutors described it as one of the most horrific incidents to occur in Las Cruces, located about 40 miles (70 kilometers) from the U.S.-Mexico border.
Story called it a massive and chaotic scene.
He showed police body camera footage of officers helping gunshot victims — one tended to a man shot in the arm and leg while another wrapped a bandage around a woman who was crying; the officer told her to keep breathing and that she would be OK.
In one of the 911 audio recordings, the dispatcher asks a caller how many people were hurt.
"I don't know, it looks like multiple," he says, trying to catch his breath.
Some of the wounded were bystanders who were not involved in the dispute between the two groups. Authorities said the groups had past personal issues.
"This is not a traditional active shooter event where the motive or motivation is to kill and injure as many people as you can, as quickly as you can," Story said. "Unfortunately, the results were the same."
Four people are facing murder charges, including three teenagers. The police chief said more arrests and charges are possible, but he did not elaborate because the investigation is ongoing.
Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez said during the news conference that hearts are heavy with sorrow in his community for thise family and friends affected by the tragic event.
"Let me be clear, this incident will not be tolerated in our community. We stand united against violence in all of its forms," Enriquez said, adding authorities will work to ensure those responsible are held accountable.
The shooting is the latest instance of violent crime involving juveniles to rock New Mexico. From Las Cruces to Albuquerque, police chiefs and prosecutors have been pleading with the Democratic-controlled Legislature to reform the juvenile justice system and address widespread public safety concerns. Authorities say young people believe there are no consequences for criminal actions.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has said she plans to call a special legislative session to address what she describes as a crime crisis.
Those facing first-degree murder charges in the Las Cruces shooting are Tomas Rivas, 20, along with two 17-year-olds and a 15-year-old. The Associated Press typically does not name suspects younger than 18.
Investigators interviewed multiple witnesses who identified two of the shooters by name. They also said those two suspects allegedly dumped firearms at an apartment complex afterward. Officers followed Rivas and one of the teenagers there and detained them after watching the teen toss a bag into a dumpster, they said.
Story said investigators believe they have recovered all four firearms connected to those who were arrested. He said three of the guns were reported stolen.
The dozens of shell casings found at the park matched the caliber of the guns recovered, according to court documents.
Rivas made a brief court appearance Monday, while the teens were set to appear in children's court Tuesday. Prosecutors are seeking to keep Rivas in custody pending trial and said they want to prosecute the teens as adults.
At the time of the shooting, Rivas was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a pending case in El Paso County, Texas, according to prosecutors. They said he is facing charges there of evading arrest and smuggling of persons.
Rivas' public defender has not returned messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. The state public defender's office is also representing the teens, but declined to comment.
Andrew Madrid, 16, and Jason Gomez, 18, died at the scene. Dominick Estrada, 19, died later at a hospital. The wounded ranged in age from 16 to 36 and were treated at the park or taken to hospitals.
New Mexico Housing opens up loans to landlords to incentivize affordable housing - By Austin Fisher, Source New Mexico
New Mexico’s housing agency is offering forgivable loans to private landowners who agree to improve their rental properties and lease them to tenants at an affordable rate for five years.
Housing New Mexico on Monday announced a pilot program to make more affordable rental properties available for tenants on rental assistance by offering forgivable loans to landlords to improve them.
The Rehab-2-Rental program is offering forgivable loans of up to $25,000 to landlords who currently lease or agree to lease their properties to renters who hold tenant-based housing vouchers like Section 8, Linkages and local government rental assistance, according to a news release.
The landlords would use the loan money to pay for needed improvements to rental units to make them ready to rent, the news release states.
Housing New Mexico’s Board of Directors in February approved $656,000 for the program. According to the notice of funding, landlords must commit to offering the lease at a rate affordable to the tenant for five years, and must commit to meeting the real estate inspection standards set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“Whether it’s single-family homes or rental properties, New Mexico is in great need of affordable housing for its residents,” Housing New Mexico Executive Director and CEO Isidoro Hernandez said in a statement. “This program is a win-win in that it will help landlords with funding to bring rentals up to standards and will provide more opportunities for affordable housing in the state.”
According to the news release, private companies, public housing authorities and others are eligible to apply by submitting rehabilitation projects on behalf of private landlords.
There will be an informational webinar for applicants online at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 2. The link to the webinar is here. It will be recorded for those who can’t attend.
More states move to ban cellphones in school as Georgia is latest to act - By Jeff Amy Associated Press
More states are moving to ban or restrict cellphones in school, a trend that continues to win bipartisan support in legislatures.
Senators in Georgia voted 54-2 on Tuesday to give final approval to a bill that would bans students in grades K-8 from using phones or other personal electronic devices during the school day. The measure goes to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto.
Currently, nine states ban phones in school, but that number will likely soon rise. Similar bills this year have passed by wide margins in New Mexico, Tennessee and Utah and await action by those states' governors. Measures are also progressing rapidly in other states.
The push for cellphone bans has been driven by concerns about the impact screen time has on children's mental health and complaints from teachers that cellphones have become a constant distraction in the classroom.
"This bill isn't just about academics, it's about students' well-being," Republican Georgia state Sen. Jason Anavitarte of Dallas said during debate Tuesday on House Bill 340. "Studies link excessive phone use to mental health issues, decreasing social skills, and an increase in bullying. We want students engaged in school, socializing with friends during lunch and focusing in the classroom."
Nationally, 77% of U.S. schools say they prohibit cellphones at school for nonacademic use, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. But that number is misleading. It does not mean students are following those bans or all those schools are enforcing them.
Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia have enacted measures banning or restricting students' use of cellphones in schools.
The specifics of the measures vary widely. Georgia's bill says students can't access their personal devices at any time during the school day, but enforcement is up to local school districts. Some Georgia districts are already using locking pouches, but schools could also just tell students to leave their phones in their locker, to turn them in to a teacher, or disable them using an online application. Students who need devices to monitor medical conditions or to help overcome intellectual disabilities would still be able to use them.
Some other states would still allow phones or other devices to be used in some situations. For example, the Utah bill lets schools permit classroom use under local policies.
Georgia isn't providing any extra funding, although supporters suggested districts might be able to use yearly school safety grants if they need to buy pouches or other equipment. New Mexico's bill sets aside $10 million in aid for local schools to help fund adoption
Objections to the proposal often center around concerns that students and parents won't be able to contact each other in case of emergency. In September, when a student killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School northeast of Atlanta, many students communicated with their parents and with emergency services using their phones.
Sen. Rashaun Kemp, an Atlanta Democrat, said he was voting for the bill. But he pleaded with Republican colleagues to restrict guns to stop school shootings.
"What if that phone could save lives in an active-shooter situation?" Kemp asked "These are true concerns as a parent that all of us will typically think about. What if that phone is the last opportunity for my child to communicate with me?"
But supporters of the bans have noted that students' phones could pose additional dangers during an emergency by distracting students or by revealing their location during an active-shooter situation.
Republican Sen. Randy Robertson of Cataula said a parent's job is to "sit down, be responsible and trust the school to follow their emergency action plan. Their calls will go unanswered because their children's phones will be locked away."
For others, though, the bill doesn't go far enough. They want to see the ban extended to high school. Republican Rep. Scott Hilton of Peachtree Corners, the bill's sponsor, said that was likely in a future session.
"This bill is a step in the right direction, but let it be the beginning and not the end," said Democratic Sen. Jason Esteves of Atlanta. "Let's ensure that every student from kindergarten to 12th grade has the opportunity to learn free from unnecessary distractions."
UNM starters Donovan Dent, Tru Washington enter transfer portal - By The Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico leading scorer Donovan Dent and his starting backcourt teammate Tru Washington are in the transfer portal.
The Dent news, first reported by On3.com, comes after the junior point guard led the Lobos to a 27-8 record, a regular-season Mountain West championship and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Dent is among the program's all-time leaders in points and assists. He vaulted to the team's primary scoring option and playmaker this past season.
Dent averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 assists per game and earned Mountain West Player of the Year and honorable mention All-America. He was the only player in the nation to average more than 20 points and six assists a game.
Tuesday on the social media site X, Dent reposted a post from On3.com reporter Joe Tipton announcing that Dent is entering the portal. Tipton's post stated, "Will consider a possible return to New Mexico."
A player choosing to enter the portal can later decide to take their name out and return to the school where they last played.
However, Dent is expected to garner a lot of attention from possible suitors. He's one of the biggest names in college basketball to enter the portal, which opened Monday.
Washington, a 6-4, 205-pound guard, established himself as the team's top perimeter defender in his sophomore season. He averaged 11.1 points per game, which was tied for third on the team, and led the Lobos with 2.1 steals per game and 42 three-pointers made. League Ready was the first to report Washington's entry into the transfer portal.
Dent and Washington join teammates Quinton Webb and Shane Douma-Sanchez in the portal. Webb played sparingly and Douma-Sanchez not at all for the Lobos.
Following Sunday's 71-63 loss to Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament, head coach Richard Pitino told the Journal he would be meeting with players on Tuesday to discuss their futures with the program.
BernCo Treasurer takes dispute over deputy hire to court - By Rodd Cayton, City Desk ABQ
Bernalillo County Treasurer Tim Eichenberg is taking the county to court over question of whether he can hire his choice for deputy, or if county ordinance should forbid the choice.
Eichenberg, elected in November, has filed a lawsuit seeking to declare a county ordinance invalid, which would allow him to have the sole authority in hiring a deputy treasurer.
Former County Clerk Linda Stover was sworn in Jan. 1 as Eichenberg’s deputy. Her term as clerk ended the previous day.
Eichenberg says commissioners have impugned Stover’s integrity and attempted to bully her into quitting.
County commissioners then launched an ethics investigation, claiming a violation of the county’s code of conduct, as it includes a requirement that former elected officials wait at least a year after leaving office before they accept employment or consulting work with the county.
The investigation concluded with commissioners voting to send a complaint against Stover to the Bernalillo County Code of Conduct Review Board. The board announced Tuesday that it will meet on April 4.
Eichenberg said Tuesday an opinion from the office of New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez establishes that his ability to choose his deputy supersedes the “cooling-off period” included in the code of conduct.
However, he said, the commission’s actions have led him to try to get a judge to clarify the law in the dispute.
The board and Chair Eric Olivas are named as defendants.
The lawsuit states that Olivas, from the dais during a County Commission meeting, “instructed the Bernalillo County Manager to cease payment of Linda Stover’s salary and benefits in a transparent attempt to intimidate and harass Linda Stover into resigning her position, which would deprive Treasurer Eichenberg of his chosen deputy.“
Olivas said that statement is one of several in the filing that are “hyperbole, if not patently false.”
Olivas said that he has in the past noted that a former elected official could volunteer with the county within a year, but could not be an employee or paid consultant.
The lawsuit also says Olivas “publicly accused Linda Stover of breaking the code of conduct, and implied that her prior employment as elected county clerk made her subject to ‘bribery and corruption,’ in a transparent attempt to intimidate and harass Linda Stover into resigning her position.”
Olivas said the complaint was filed in response to a concern about a possible breach of ethics.
“I think Treasurer Eichenberg continues to flout the law and treat ethics as an option, and not a way of operating,” he told CityDesk ABQ Tuesday. “The average citizen of the county understands this is about good government and rational ethical safeguards.”
Olivas said the County Code of Conduct Review Board hearing and the court proceedings should resolve the issue.
“I respect the process,” he said. “I believe we, as the county, have a very strong case.”
Prosecutors say evidence is 'strong' against suspects in New Mexico park shooting that killed 3 - By Rio Yamat, Associated Press
Prosecutors in New Mexico say the evidence that police have collected in connection with a weekend shooting at a park that left three people dead and 15 others injured is "strong."
That includes the accounts of multiple witnesses who identified two of the shooters by name, as well as police officers witnessing the same two defendants allegedly dumping firearms at an apartment complex after the shooting, according to new court records.
At least four people have been arrested on suspicion of murder: Tomas Rivas, 20, and three teenagers. The Associated Press typically does not name defendants younger than 18.
Rivas, who is charged with three counts of open murder, made a brief court appearance Monday via video from a jail. Prosecutors on Monday also filed a motion to keep Rivas in custody as he awaits trial, and a judge said that a hearing on his custody status is expected in the coming days. Las Cruces police, meanwhile, plan to hold a news conference Tuesday.
Authorities said Friday night's shooting happened at Young Park, where an altercation between two groups broke out after an unauthorized car show had drawn about 200 people. In their motion, prosecutors described it as "one of the most horrific incidents to occur in Las Cruces."
One of the witnesses told police that they saw Rivas shoot one of the victims multiple times, striking the victim in the body and head, according to prosecutors.
Rivas and a 17-year-old male were arrested Saturday, authorities said. Two other male teens, 15 and 17, were taken into custody Sunday, but details about what led to their arrests weren't immediately released.
The Associated Press left an emailed message Monday with Rivas' public defender seeking comment. The state public defender's office confirmed Monday it is also representing the three other defendants but did not provide further comment on the allegations.
After the shooting, officers followed Rivas and a codefendant to an apartment where the codefendant was seen tossing a bag into a dumpster, according to Rivas' arrest report. Police quickly took them into custody and found four firearms dumped at the apartment complex that matched handgun casings found at the park, the report said.
Between 50 and 60 handgun casings were scattered across a wide swath of the park, authorities have said.
Andrew Madrid, 16, and Jason Gomez, 18, died at the scene. Dominick Estrada, 19, died later at a hospital, authorities said. The wounded ranged in age from 16 to 36 and were treated at the park or taken to hospitals.
The Las Cruces school district said in a statement on Monday that one of the victims was a local high school student.
"We are deeply saddened at this news and offer our condolences to all the families impacted by this senseless tragedy," said Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz. "The events that unfolded over the weekend are difficult to understand, especially for our young people."
At the time of the shooting, Rivas was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a pending case in El Paso County, Texas, according to prosecutors. They said Rivas is facing charges there of evading arrest and smuggling of persons.
Las Cruces sits on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert along the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico, about 40 miles (70 kilometers) from the U.S.-Mexico border.
New Mexico food banks concerned Congress will cut food assistance dollars - Cathy Cook, Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico food bank leaders warn that Congress could make substantial cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding at a time when they expect the need for food assistance to rise.
On Friday morning, cars were lined up across the street from Roadrunner Food Bank’s Albuquerque office and warehouse to pick up food. But far more food is provided to New Mexicans through SNAP benefits than through food banks. For every one meal that food banks and food pantries provide, SNAP provides nine, said Katy Anderson, Roadrunner Food Bank’s vice president of strategy. There are 487,113 people in New Mexico receiving SNAP benefits. New Mexico had the highest rate of SNAP participation nationally in 2022, with 24% of residents enrolled, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report.
“The groups that are going to suffer the most will be seniors and children,” Anderson said during a press conference hosted by Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., at Roadrunner Food Bank Friday. Representatives from The Food Depot, Meals on Wheels New Mexico and Agri-Cultura Cooperative Network also shared their concerns about the potential cuts.
The House and Senate have adopted conflicting budget resolutions. Trump threw his support behind the House version, which will likely require significant cuts to Medicaid and SNAP to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. Republican House leaders released a statement Monday pushing the Senate to take up the House’s budget resolution.
“The House is determined to send the president one big, beautiful bill that secures our border, keeps taxes low for our families and job creators, grows our economy, restores American energy dominance, brings back peace through strength, and makes government more efficient and more accountable to the American people,” said the statement from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich.
The House budget resolution orders the House Agriculture Committee to cut $230 billion in spending from fiscal years 2025 through 2034. SNAP makes up $1 trillion of the $1.3 trillion in spending that the committee oversees, making it a likely target for cuts. The House bill would cut more than 20% of the SNAP program, according to nonprofit research organization, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The cuts could come from cutting SNAP benefits, restricting eligibility or both.
The Senate budget resolution directs a narrower cut to the Senate Agriculture Committee of $1 billion over the same time frame.
Meals on Wheels is keeping a close eye on the potential cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, said Renee Ruybal, chief advancement officer for Meals on Wheels New Mexico. Funding cuts could force the nonprofit to make some tough decisions, like reinstating a waitlist.
“Many of our seniors rely on SNAP for groceries and for essential services, including meal delivery. Medicaid is also an important part of how we plan to grow and serve more people in the future. So if these programs face more cuts, more New Mexicans will turn to us for help, but at a time when we have fewer resources to meet that growing need,” Ruybal said.
Democratic politicians have been rallying opposition to the budget resolution. In New Mexico, Sen. Ben Ray Luján and Stansbury both drew attention to potential SNAP cuts last week.
“They’re going to cut Medicaid for millions of Americans, they’re going to cut food assistance for millions of Americans, they’re going to cut tax breaks for single parents, and they’re going to cut life-saving programs that help millions of Americans survive so that they can give tax breaks to millionaires,” Stansbury said. “Now what I want to emphasize is that even though this is their evil plan, we can stop them.”
Stansbury said Republicans want to get the budget package to the president’s desk in May or June.
Environmental advocacy groups praise legislative efforts to address climate change - Hannah Grover, New Mexico Political Report
Many environmental advocacy groups praised actions taken during the recently concluded legislative session, though some say not enough was done to rein in pollution from the oil and gas industry.
Conservation Voters New Mexico said in a statement that the actions taken during the legislative session provide important safeguards even as the federal government rolls back environmental regulations.
CVNM highlighted 21 bills awaiting the governor’s signature that will protect air, land, water and wildlife resources, as well as public health.
Those bills include Senate Bill 48, which creates the state-funded Community Benefit Fund, a grant program intended to support climate and community resilience efforts in New Mexico.
“We need to take a moment and reflect on the historic nature of SB 48 – Community Benefit Fund,” CVNM Climate and Energy Advocate Justin Garoutte said in a press release.
He said SB 48 and the $210 million in the budget bill that supports the fund’s mission “represents the state’s largest investment in community-based climate action in New Mexico to date. It comes at a critical moment, when federal resources like the Inflation Reduction Act are being gutted and states must step up.”
Garouette said SB 48 is an “important first step” that will help communities and Tribes build “a comprehensive response to fires, floods and long-term drought everyday New Mexicans are already facing.”
Additionally, SB 48 will help promote a transition to clean energy resources at a time when federal funding for such initiatives is being slashed, Garoutte said.
The Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club also praised funding for climate solutions.
“We are grateful for the legislative investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in climate solutions driven by community and workforce development initiatives,” the chapter’s director, Camilla Feibelman, said in a statement. “The innovative programs that this money funds will help the state avoid the worst impacts of global warming. But the impacts of the climate crisis were ever present this session as legislators worked to address water scarcity, wildfires, property damage and insurance impacts, and how to absorb these costs. Meanwhile the oil and gas industry spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to stop commonsense safeguards against the very emissions harming our state all while fighting modest taxation on their multibillion dollar profits that would support working families.”
While the legislature passed bills that advocates say will help the environment, several bills intended to curb the climate impact of the oil and gas industry failed to pass.
Those included bills championed by the Center for Biological Diversity and a group of New Mexicans who are suing the state over alleged failures to protect residents from fossil fuel pollution.
“It’s disgraceful that our governor and state representatives let yet another legislative session come to a close without taking any action to prioritize the health and environment of the people of New Mexico over the profits of oil and gas corporations,” Gail Evans, an Albuquerque-based attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. “Our legislators didn’t even take the tiny step of ensuring our kids are protected from dangerous oil and gas pollution when they’re at school. It’s clear our elected officials aren’t willing to stand up to the fossil fuel industry. That’s why we’re suing them for breaking their constitutional duty to protect us from pollution. I look forward to arguing our case in court on behalf of every New Mexican.”
Evans referred to a bill that would have prevented future oil and gas operations from being placed within close proximity to schools.
‘It’s real in every city in America’: Mayor talks about challenges city faces as federal decisions trickle down - By Gregory R.C. Hasman, Albuquerque Journal
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller spoke to about 200 people Sunday about the impact budget cuts and other actions taken by the Trump administration have had in recent weeks.
“It’s real here,” Keller said inside the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center. “It’s real in every city in America. That’s what is so terrible about this.”
Keller touched on topics ranging from budget cuts to immigration. He said the city planned to remain a “sanctuary city.”
“We’re not going to work with (Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” he said.
Keller said the city will also have to take a stand on its short-term budget.
The city is going to have to buckle down and “get ready for the storm, and that’s OK,” he said.
There are two ways to find money: to increase taxes and/or fees, or make cuts, Keller said.
“These cuts will force choices we don’t want to make like eliminating bus routes or charging you a lot to ride the bus because we can’t keep free fares and keep the route structure that we have,” he said.
Some of the cuts would impact other areas, Keller said, including:
- Public Safety: The city could see an impact to a number of areas in law enforcement including drug enforcement, crime fighting technology and a decrease in the size of the police force. “Can you imagine how detrimental that would be, especially given the challenges we’re having with crime?” he asked.
- Housing: Funding would affect projects like Uptown Connect — a mixed-use development that will be near the Uptown Transit Center — that would create almost 200 affordable housing units. “We will never see it” if “Trump keeps doing what he’s doing,” Keller said.
- Minority businesses: Trump also issued an executive order laying out plans to axe seven government entities, including the Minority Business Development Agency.
“What they are doing is destroying every aspect of our community, including the business community,” Keller said.
Another area facing cuts is veterans affairs. Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported the Department of Veterans Affairs is planning a reorganization that includes cutting over 80,000 jobs from the agency that provides health care and other services for millions of veterans.
“This country has a moral and ethical responsibility to take care of our veterans, those people that have sacrificed the most for our country,” Frank Smith, incoming Veterans & Military Families Caucus chairman, told the Journal. “To try to lump that into ‘waste’ is unconscionable.”
A lot of the cuts and executive orders are “pretty scary,” Albuquerque resident Jim Augeri said.
‘STAND TOGETHER'
One area the city is fighting back on relates to diversity, equality and inclusion, which Keller said the city will continue promoting as Trump tries to crackdown on DEI programs across the country. Keller said he will keep offices like Equity and Inclusion and Civil Rights.
He also said the city plans to continue being a “sanctuary city,” which limits or denies cooperation with federal immigration authorities, prevents city resources from being used for immigration enforcement or for sharing information about an individual’s immigration status, unless legally required.
“We are not going to change now,” Keller said.
The city also plans to continue committing to programs like Albuquerque Justice40, a Biden-Harris Administration initiative to deliver 40% of overall benefits from certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities.
“One of the best things we can do is make sure that we institutionalize what we want as a city ... so that no matter what politicians come around, they can’t mess it up,” Keller said.
To get through the next few years, he said, people are going to “need to do this together.”
Keller suggested people talk with their elected officials and tell them, “I want to help defend Albuquerque,” and to volunteer with local nonprofits.
“Of course, getting involved in those community groups is absolutely critical, way more now than it was even just a year ago,” he said.
Albuquerque resident Mary Mandeville said she felt inspired to start volunteering with organizations dedicated to helping young children.
“I think if we all stand together, we’re a heck of a lot stronger than if we don’t,” she said.
Body camera footage is released showing scene outside Gene Hackman's home - By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
Authorities have released body camera footage from outside the home of Gene Hackman, where the actor and wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in late February.
The redacted footage shows deputies talking with the two workers who called authorities to report seeing someone lying on the floor inside the home. With no signs of forced entry or other evidence of suspicious circumstances, the deputies asked about the possibility of a gas leak or carbon monoxide poisoning, and the workers said they didn't see how that could have been the case.
"Something's not right," one of the workers said.
Authorities soon determined there were no leaks that could have been fatal, further fueling a mystery that captured the public's attention.
It was solved about a week later when medical investigators confirmed that Hackman died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer's about a week after hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — a rare, rodent-borne disease — took the life of his wife.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office released only some of the footage from the investigation.
A New Mexico court last week granted a temporary restraining order against the release of any photographs and video showing Hackman and his wife the inside of their home. Hackman's estate had filed the petition to withhold images, citing the need to protect the family's constitutional right to privacy in grief under the 14th Amendment.
Workers who had maintained the property talked to investigators about respecting Hackman and Arawaka's privacy. One worker described Arawaka as a private person.
The body camera footage also shows brief sightings of one of the couple's dogs running in the wooded hills on their property on the edge of Santa Fe. A man who identified himself to officers as a dog trainer who cared for the couple's pet dogs said the couple were "nuts" about their dogs.
"There's toys everywhere around the property," he said.
In a separate video, Arakawa's hairdresser told investigators that his client took the dogs with her everywhere and that the smallest one would often hang out inside the salon with them during her visits.
That dog was found inside a crate, not far from Arakawa's body. A report obtained by The Associated Press from the state Department of Agriculture's veterinary lab states the dog likely died from dehydration and starvation.
The actor's daughter, Elizabeth Hackman, told authorities she wanted the dog that died to be cremated. Authorities put her in touch with the local animal shelter to talk about the options.
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Associated Press writers Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix and Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.