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MON: Albuquerque DA Running For Attorney General, State Creates Uranium Mine Database, + More

Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
Albuquerque District Attorney Raúl Torrez"

  

District Attorney Raúl Torrez To Run For Attorney General - By Morgan Lee, Associated Press

The district attorney for New Mexico's largest metro area is seeking the Democratic nomination for state attorney general in the 2022 election, emphasizing his hands-on experience in Albuquerque as the city grapples with stubborn rates of violent crime.

Announcing his candidacy for statewide office Monday, Bernalillo County District Attorney Raúl Torrez said he's been an aggressive and innovative prosecutor in the midst of a crime crisis in the Albuquerque area, where homicides are being reported this year at a record pace.

State Auditor Brian Colón also is seeking the Democratic nomination. Hector Balderas is wrapping up his second term as New Mexico's top prosecutor and consumer advocate.

The state Republican Party says it is in discussions with potential candidates for attorney general. Republicans have held the office only three times in the state's nearly 110-year history.

Torrez currently oversees about 115 attorneys at the largest law office in the state. He highlighted initiatives he pioneered to track police misconduct, take on an insurgent local militia and safeguard elections by providing rapid legal advice to police contending with possible political protests and interference at polls.

"New Mexicans are looking for somebody who's a fighter in the attorney general's office and someone who has real experience to take on the job," he told The Associated Press. "If you look at the work that we've done inside the district attorney's office, we've been able to secure additional resources, modernize that office, transform how it operates, bringing frankly new capabilities that no one had ever envisioned."

Last year President Donald Trump dispatched federal agents to Albuquerque while denouncing crime rates in several Democrat-led cities. The Albuquerque Police Department has struggled for years to address allegations of excessive force in policing, under supervision of the U.S. Justice Department through a consent decree.

Torrez said his primary focus as district attorney is in providing resources to combat violent crime.

"It's undeniable that we've got a very serious public safety challenge in Albuquerque," Torrez said. "Violent crime is unacceptably high, murders are extraordinarily high. But what we need right now are individuals with experience in different systems, and who have worked as as prosecutors and police leaders, who can draw on ideas from around the nation and try and move this community in a new direction. And I think I bring that to the table."

As a contender for attorney general, Torrez said he wants to expand the state's capacity to handle consumer-rights litigation and address concerns about the reach and influence of technology companies.

"One of the things I'd like to see is the development of a greater and more experienced core of civil litigators" inside the attorney general's office, he said.

On his campaign website, Torrez is highlighting his support for recently enacted state gun safety laws and efforts as district attorney to eliminate a backlog for processing rape-test kits, as well as efforts to publish and analyze demographic trends in policing and prosecution.

Torrez previously served as as a federal prosecutor and senior adviser at the U.S. Justice Department under under Attorney General Eric Holder during Barack Obama's presidency.

Reports of overall crime and property crime in Albuquerque declined in 2020 while the pandemic kept many people at home, as reports of personal and violent crime increased slightly.

Homicides in Albuquerque are setting a record pace this year with 42 reported so far. The deadliest year for homicides was 2019 with 80, and there were 76 in 2020.

As district attorney, Torrez last year filed suit against a self-described civilian militia group known as the New Mexico Civil Guard that he accuses of usurping police authority and acting as an unlawful military unit.

The group's armed members showed up at a demonstration in July 2020 that devolved in a melee as protesters pulled down a statue of Spanish conqueror Juan de Oñate.

Torrez says his office is partnering with a local law firm and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University Law Center to pursue the case.

Navajo Nation Reports 7 New COVID-19 Cases And No DeathsAssociated Press

The Navajo Nation on Monday reported seven new confirmed COVID-19 cases and no deaths.

Tribal health officials said the latest figures pushed the total number of cases since the pandemic began more than a year ago to 30,722 on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

The known death toll remains at 1,293.

After four days of no reported coronavirus-related deaths, tribal health officials said there were five deaths Friday and one on both Saturday and Sunday.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said more than half of the reservation's adult population has been vaccinated, but people still need to stay home as much as possible, wear masks and avoid large gatherings.

"Several states have lifted even more restrictions that helped to prevent more spread of COVID-19, but we are keeping the mask mandate and social distancing protocols in place on the Navajo Nation," Nez said. "As we've seen before, the virus is unpredictable at times so we have to be very careful and continue to urge our citizens to continue taking precautions to stay safe. This week, we have seven communities that are identified as having uncontrolled spread. We have to do better and keep pushing back on COVID-19."

24 Hikers Rescued In New Mexico's Organ MountainsAssociated Press

Authorities say a group of 24 hikers who became separated, disoriented and stranded in the Organ Mountains were rescued by the Las Cruces Fire Department and other law enforcement officers.

The hiking group from El Paso, Texas, was trying what authorities called an ambitious attempt to scale The Needle — one of the most difficult ascents in the mountain range near Las Cruces.

The group — made up of hikers with various trail experience — began the guided hike before dawn Sunday. Authorities say some fell behind, splintered onto different trails and became disoriented. They became stranded once the sun set and were unable to find their way off the mountain.

Hikers made several calls to 911 prompting the search and rescue mission.

One woman was injured and had to be carted down by rescuers. Authorities said her injuries are not life-threatening.

Other search and rescue members located the remaining hikers at various stages of descent. Several had relatively minor injuries, mostly scrapes and bruises, and some complained of dehydration.

New Mexico Creates Database Of Legacy Uranium MinesAssociated Press

New Mexico has created a database of uranium mines around the state, including those that are inactive and have been abandoned, state officials announced Monday.

The database was put together by the state Mining and Minerals Division as a way to give people quick access to information from a variety of sources.

Division Director Jerry Schoeppner said it was a monumental task to bring together the full scope of legacy mining in New Mexico.

With thousands of abandoned mines in the state, the dashboard allows people to search by address, by current location or by selecting points on the map to learn more about a given area.

The dashboard shows that the reclamation status of half the mines in the database is classified as unknown, while reclamation at about one-third of the mines has been completed.

Balloon Fiesta Task Force Mulls Ideas For More Landing SitesAssociated Press

A task force is recommending buying land to expand potential

A task force is recommending buying land to expand potential landing sites for the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

The Albuquerque Journal reports  the task force's findings are at the center of a resolution that Albuquerque City councilors are expected to pass Monday.

The resolution would authorize a working group to carry out recommendations from the Balloon Landing Task Force. Among them is spending potentially as much as $70 million on a vast tract of land that could also serve as a sports practice field or a recreational venue.

Other suggestions from the group include revamping parking lots on private properties by relocating trees, light poles and other features. That alone could cost more than $31,000 per acre.

The task force also recommends snapping up small- and medium-sized sites that could be transformed into landing sites as well as sports practice fields.

Another idea would be to broaden the Fiesta's X Marks the Spot program where private owners can mark their property as a safe place for balloonists to land.

Paul Smith, Balloon Fiesta executive director, is on the task force which has spent the past two years reviewing the issue. Smith says getting enough landowners on board would secure the hot air balloon festival's future.

Trial Set To Begin For Former Las Vegas Mayor - Santa Fe New Mexican, Las Vegas Optic, Associated Press, KUNM News

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the jury trial of Tonita Gurulé-Girón, the former mayor of Las Vegas, New Mexico, is set to begin today. 

Gurulé-Girón was charged in December 2019 with six felonies related to abuse of power, bid-rigging, and offering and receiving bribes, prosecutors said. She has pleaded not guilty. 

Prosecutors say the former mayor pressured city employees to give contracts to her boyfriend's construction company.

The Las Vegas Optic reports Gurulé-Girón’s case was repeatedly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic among other issues. 

Groups Call For Reintroduction Of Jaguars In US Southwest - By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press

Environmental groups and scientists with two universities want U.S. wildlife managers to consider reintroducing jaguars to the American Southwest. 

In a recently published paper, they say habitat destruction, highways and segments of the U.S.-Mexico border wall mean that natural reestablishment of the large cats in the region would be unlikely over the next century without human intervention. 

Jaguars are currently found in 19 countries, but they've lost about half of their historic range. Several individual male jaguars have been spotted in New Mexico and Arizona over the last two decades, but there's no evidence of breeding pairs establishing territories beyond northern Mexico.

Scientists and experts with the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Center for Landscape Conservation, Defenders of Wildlife, the Center for Biological Diversity and other organizations are pointing to more than 31,800 square miles of suitable habitat in the mountains of New Mexico and central Arizona that could potentially support anywhere from 90 to 150 jaguars. 

Under a recovery plan finalized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mexico as well as countries in Central and South America are primarily responsible for monitoring jaguar movements within their territory. The agency has noted that the Southwestern U.S. represents just one-tenth of 1% of the jaguar's historic range.

Albuquerque Police ID 2 Victims In A Triple Homicide Case - Associated Press

Authorities in New Mexico have released the names of two men who died in a triple homicide case. 

Albuquerque police say 44-year-old Brandon Torres and 41-year-old James Fisher were identified as two of the victims found Wednesday in a bullet-riddled car outside a city hospital. 

The name of the third man is being withheld until his relatives can be notified. 

An Albuquerque police SWAT team arrested a suspect on a federal warrant who allegedly was involved in the shooting. Police said 41-year-old Richard Kuykendall was questioned and then booked into jail on a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

However, Kuykendall has not yet been charged in the triple homicide case. It was unclear Sunday if Kuykendall has a lawyer yet.

Police said the shooting happened while the vehicle was parked in an alley. It was then driven to the northeast Albuquerque hospital. 

The Albuquerque Journal reports court records show the victims were all members of a white supremacist prison gang and Kuykendall has an apparent association to the gang via identifying tattoos.

In a criminal complaint, the FBI said agents don't believe Kuykendall killed all three men but may be responsible for the death of one of them.

The FBI also said Kuykendall has a long criminal history with 35 arrests in New Mexico and Massachusetts including assault and battery, forgery, larceny and identity theft.

New Mexico Man Ends Trial, Admits Killing Wife, 4 Daughters - Associated Press

A prosecutor in New Mexico says a man ended his trial and admitted he killed his wife and four daughters in 2016 at their home in Roswell. 

The local district attorney, Scot Key, said Friday that 39-year-old Juan David Villegas-Hernandez will face five life-in-prison sentences following his no-contest plea to five murder charges. 

Villegas-Hernandez acknowledged shooting his 34-year-old wife, Cynthia Villegas, and their four daughters, ages 3 to 14. 

Key said Villegas-Hernandez fled to Mexico before he was arrested and transferred back to the U.S. in custody. 

Sentencing is scheduled Wednesday at the Chaves County Courthouse in Roswell.

At trial, prosecutor RoxeAnne Esquibel said Villegas-Hernandez killed his family and fled to Mexico after discovering Cynthia Villegas planned to divorce him.

Villegas-Hernandez's attorney, Herman Ortiz, had told jurors there would be no testimony from anyone who saw Villegas-Hernandez at the scene of the killings or with a gun.

But Key said a witness testified she spoke with Villegas-Hernandez for more than two hours as he loaded items into his red pickup truck outside the house the afternoon of the slayings.

The woman characterized Villegas-Hernandez's behavior as strange, said he threatened to kill himself, and refused to let her inside the home, Key said in a statement.

The woman contacted family members and notified police, who found the bodies inside.

Esquibel said each had been shot in the head with a .22-caliber rifle or handgun, and Key said several police officers testified they saw writing on a door inside the home admitting to the killings.

"Forgive me. I apologize to all. I will kill myself too," it said.

Villegas-Hernandez was arrested several days later in Mexico and returned in custody to the U.S. for trial.

Second Amendment Sanctuaries Facing 1st Court Test In Oregon - By Lindsay Whitehurst And Andrew Selsky  Associated Press

The first court test of whether local governments can ban police from enforcing certain gun laws is playing out in a rural Oregon county. 

It's one of a wave of U.S. counties declaring itself a Second Amendment sanctuary. 

The measure Columbia County voters narrowly approved last year prohibits local officials from enforcing most federal and state gun laws and could impose thousands of dollars in fines on those who try.  

Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions have been adopted by some 1,200 local governments in states around the U.S., including New Mexico, Virginia, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois and Florida, according to Shawn Fields, an assistant professor of law at Campbell University who tracks them. Many are symbolic, but some, like in Columbia County, carry legal force. 

The movement took off around 2018, as states considered stricter gun laws in the wake of mass shootings.

The group Everytown for Gun Safety is among those urging a judge to invalidate the ordinance that's been divisive in the county outside Portland.

Navajos Say New Arizona Restrictions Will Complicate Voting - By Felicia Fonseca Associated Press

Native American tribes say two new Arizona election laws won't make it any easier for their voters. 

Gov. Doug Ducey recently signed the bills that he and fellow Republicans say will strengthen the integrity of elections. 

Tribes and voting rights advocates say the measures will disproportionately affect communities of color, tribal members who have to drive long distances to cast a ballot and voters who speak limited or no English.

The bills target the length of time voters have to fix signature problems on mailed ballots and require periodic purging of a list of voters who automatically receive mailed ballots.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said Ducey's actions belittle tribes and fail to recognize the unique challenges Native Americans face when casting ballots. That includes driving hours to reach polling places, unreliable mail service and the need for more Native language translators.

The bills' sponsor, Republican state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, said claims of retaliation or voter suppression were "outrageous" and "unfounded." Elections aren't a surprise, she said, and voters want them to be run efficiently with timely results.

Navajo Nation Reports 7 New COVID-19 Cases And 1 More Death - Associated Press

The Navajo Nation has reported seven new confirmed COVID-19 cases and one additional death. 

Tribal health officials say the latest figures released Sunday pushed the total number of cases since the pandemic began more than a year ago to 30,715 on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. 

The known death toll now is 1,293. After four days of no reported coronavirus-related deaths, tribal health officials say there 12 new COVID-19 cases Friday and five deaths – including several that were delayed in reporting – and 15 cases with one death Saturday. 

Health care facilities on the Navajo Nation started vaccinating adolescents in the 12-to-15 age range late last week.