Month: January 2014

Saturday weather was cold and windy. The ABC-7 Stormtrack Weather team issued a first alert on Wednesday . The borderland areas were expecting rain, but some areas even saw a little snow. The Franklin Mountains in Northeast El Paso were lightly dusted.

El Paso Police officers responded to calls about a vicious dog on the loose in Central El Paso Friday night. When they got there — they say a pit bull attacked them.They say they had to shoot and kill it. The dog’s owners are in jail for trying to stop the cops.Marco and Leonardo Hernandez

The city of crosses has a new police chief.In a little more than a week Jaime Montoya takes the reigns of New Mexico’s second largest city’s police department. Montoya’s been Las Cruces Police Department’s deputy chief since January of 2010, but he’s been with the department for a total of 22 years. Montoya will officially

After weeks of controversy, the Christmas lights at Shawver park went dark – four days before Christmas. The City’s Parks and Recreation Department announced the final music performance was Friday December 20th.. Then the light displays will be pulled down on Saturday. Tracy Novak, the new Parks and Rec director, told ABC-7 the City always

A 300 pound hog on the loose on Paisano near Executive Friday afternoon caused a few problems as its owner and a good Sumaritan tried to get him back on his trailer. The hog’s owner was driving the hog from Anthony, Texas to Ysleta when she jumped out of the trailer it was being hauled

Daniel Villegas will spend his 18th Christmas behind bars while his supporters wait for a vital document from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Judge Sam Medrano of the 409th District Court on Friday said he did not have the authority to let Villegas out on bond because the Court of Criminal Appeals has not

The El Paso Council of Judges has approved a pay increase for court-appointed attorneys saying the lawyers are underpaid, while some County Commissioners say the process by which the attorneys are appointed is not transparent and the increase is harmful to taxpayers. In a 17 to 4 vote, the Council of Judges voted to increase

Police say a motorcyclist was killed when he collided with a car. It happened at around 6:30 Thursday evening at the intersection of Lee Trevino and Yermoland. The man was riding on Lee Trevino when he crashed into a car whose driver was attempting to turn left onto Yermoland. The man was ejected from the

A borderland gun dealer who admitted he sold nearly 200 guns to straw purchasers during the failed Operation Fast and Furious is out of prison and pointing a finger at the government. After serving two and a half years in prison, Ian Garland is at a halfway house in El Paso. In 2011, multiple agencies

No doubt the holidays are a busy time of year for Target stores. After hearing the news about the payment card breach that compromised 40 million credit and debit card users at Target stores across the U.S., Denise Juarez said it won’t change her shopping habits. “They let us know about it. To be up

Legal documents state that the father of 5-month-old Jackson Farrey told his father the child died after choking on something and that he and the boy’s mother buried the child in the desert. Jackson’s parents are both still in custody in the El Paso County Jail. Jeffrey has been indicted on charges of injury to

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by elected school board trustee Chuck Taylor. The lawsuit, which was dismissed on Wednesday, was filed against El Paso Independent School District Board of Managers President Dee Margo and Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams. Because the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice it cannot be re-filed. Taylor filed the

The New Mexico Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the state Thursday, declaring in a ruling that it is unconstitutional to deny a marriage license to gay and lesbian couples. New Mexico joins 16 states and the District of Columbia in allowing gay marriage. Eight of the state’s 33 counties started issuing marriage licenses to

In a time of fast-paced gadgets and immediacy of information the sloth-like process of Willie Gandara Sr.’s plea hearing was apparent. Gandara sat alone at the defense table for 30 minutes, while lawyers and U.S. District Judge Frank Montalvo discussed issues behind closed doors. What was said outside the courtroom is anyone’s guess, but for

“50 to 1,” the film based on the improbable 2009 Kentucky Derby win by Mine that Bird, will be released in New Mexico on March 21. A wide release date has not been announced. You can get a taste of what the film looks like by checking out the just-released trailer at http://bit.ly/J7YR4C. Mine That

One person was sent to the hospital after a stabbing in the Lower Valley Wednesday night. The incident happened at around 11:30 p.m. near the intersection of Gonzalez and Begonia. Emergency crews say the victim was taken to Del Sol hospital in serious condition. The El Paso Police Department has not given any further details.

Blake Farrey, the 20-month-old who was in custody of child protective services in Michigan, is now in foster care in El Paso, Texas. “Our primary concern is the safety and welfare of this child. He’s seeing a pediatrician and will be receiving any necessary therapy. We also will be seeking appropriate relative placement,” said Paul

Dec. 20, 2013 Update: Daniel Villegas, the man convicted of double murder in 1995, will not be released from jail today pending his retrial. Villegas’ attorneys asked the judge to release Villegas on bond. The judge said in court Friday morning that he is waiting for a mandate from a higher court. A mandate is

Two grinches are on the loose in East El Paso. They aren’t stealing Christmas this year but they are taking holiday spirit. Victor Avila says when he woke up on Sunday morning and walked outside, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Someone had stolen some of his blow-up Christmas decorations from his front yard. The father

El Paso City Council has hired a New York firm to find sites for the three biggest projects from last year’s Quality of Life Bond election. City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $614,980 contract with HKS Urban Design Studio to find locations for the children’s museum, cultural center and arena voters overwhelmingly approved last

Convicted businessman Frank Apodaca is asking federal Judge Frank Montalvo to give him another two months before he has to go to prison. Apodaca is scheduled to turn himself in on Wednesday afternoon to serve an eight year sentence. Apodaca pleaded guilty to bribing several elected officials at the El Paso Independent School District, Ysleta

Austin High Principal John Tanner and Assistant Principal Diane Thomas were recommended for termination or the non-renewal of their contract by El Paso Independent School District Board of Managers Tuesday. Tanner has been with EPISD since 2004 and was Austin’s principal from 2008 until August 2013 when he was placed on leave. District officials won’t

Dec. 18, 2013 Update: A 34-year-old woman who allegedly led law enforcement on a chase Tuesday morning has been arrested and charged with burglary of habitation. The woman, identified as Angela Watson-Wiseman of Memphis, Tenn., allegedly fled her Toyota Highlander at about 8:40 a.m. Tuesday after it rolled over and ended up on Mina Perdida

An El Paso woman is warning others not to fall victim to an Internal Revenue Service telephone scam that cost her more than $5,000. Therese Balesh received a phone call last Saturday . The person on the other line informed her that the IRS had a case against her and her husband. She was told

Joplin leaders will continue negotiating to lure an independent professional baseball team to the city from El Paso, Texas, but the work is far from done. The Joplin City Council voted Monday night to authorize a memorandum of understanding to work with WLD Suarez Baseball, the owners of the El Paso Diablos. City Attorney Brian

UTEP will host New Orleans at the Don Haskins Center tonight. The Miners will take the court without leading scorer McKenzie Moore. Coach Tim Floyd is suspending Moore for the game because he thinks he needs to learn a lesson. “I didn’t like his actions tonight (Dec. 7) on the floor as we pulled him

El Paso Police have released the identity of the man who was struck by his own vehicle on Sunday night. He has been identified as 49-year-old Jose Barrios. Police say that Barrios was the driver of a 2008 Mountaineer he was driving along Dakota Ridge near Cloud Ridge when he pulled over and got out

Two people involved in El Paso’s federal public corruption case were sentenced Monday morning. Chris Pak, former managing director at Bear Stearn’s Dallas office, was sentenced to three years probation and a $20,000 fine. Judge Frank Montalvo said Pak was cooperative from the start. Bear Stearn was not implicated in the scheme. Sal Mena Jr.,

Earlier this year, county leaders voted 4-0 to pass a $10 vehicle registration hike. Commissioners said then they knew the move wouldn’t be popular, today they showcased the reason they got behind the move in the first place. Commissioners unanimously approved an interlocal agreement tying them to the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority. In essence,

The Texas Department of Transportation has brought back some brightly-colored features that once illuminated a portion of Interstate 10. The light arches along the eastbound lanes of I-10 have returned and not just for the holidays, TxDot said it is permanent. It has been about five years since the arches were lit up. Spokeswoman for