Month: June 2014

There is an El Paso connection with the Kentucky derby. A lot of people attended the Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino cheering for a hometown favorite, a horse named Chitu. Chitu had won the Sunland derby back in March. That horse was trained by a legend in the horse race community Bob Baffert who also

Some residents in Las Cruces woke up to the sound of gun fire Saturday morning. They were forced to evacuate while police and a SWAT team searched the area. Authorities surrounded a home on the 1200 block of California. Police also blocked off other midtown streets including Solano Drive during the search. Streets reopened up

A spokeswoman with the Ysleta Independent School District says shot glasses were not an acceptable gift given to hundreds of students who attended Eastwood High School’s senior prom on Saturday. “We’ve met with the sponsors of prom, we’ve also learned from this and we want to make sure that there is a protocol for all

It was a sold-out opening night for Southwest University Park, but are the droves of baseball fans having the desired impact on nearby businesses? Many fans coming out of the first game said that opening night at the downtown ballpark was a great event. But for some of the bars and restaurants nearby, while the

Many are wondering how the Chihuahuas’ new ballpark will affect downtown property values. ABC-7 spoke recently with real estate consultants about how they foresee the market responding. “Really it started when the announcement of the ballpark,” said TVO Real Estate Group CEO Russ Vandenburg. “Values went up quite a bit, you know, 40, 50, 60

Work crews are pushing to finish construction on Southwest University Park in downtown despite heavy winds Sunday evening. The El Paso Chihuahuas first home game is set to open in the new stadium Monday night. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 7:05 p.m. Around 9,000 fans are expected to pack the new

The El Paso Independent School District confirmed Monday, it is now facing a $17 million deficit, up from the $11.8 million administrators first reported. A spokeswoman for the district said the increase is due mainly to lower student enrollment numbers, which mean the district will receive less money from the state. At a community meeting

A woman is dead after an overnight car crash involving 3 vehicles. Police say two cars were heading south bound on Zaragoza when they collided. As a result of the collision police say one of the cars was pushed into the north bound lane where it was hit again by a pick-up truck. The driver

The StormTRACK Weather team has issued a First Alert due to rain chances developing Friday afternoon across the region, and lasting through Saturday evening. A Pacific storm system will drag moisture into the region through Friday, and cross the area Saturday. The result will be upper level and lower level moisture combining to develop steady

Residents in Northeast El Paso woke up to find their streets flooded Friday morning. A water main broke at around 1 a.m. near the intersection of Wren and Montgomery, leaving a crater in the street. Nearby yards will filled with water. The scene was cleared by 5 am.

Questions still loom Thursday about the direction of El Paso Children’s Hospital, after its CEO resigned Wednesday. A strategic planning committee will begin meeting next week to assess whether Children’s will be able to pay University Medical Center the roughly $59 million it owes for rent and other support services. Former UMC Board Chair Ron

ABC-7 is continuing to bring you coverage of the El Paso School District’s budget battle. At Tuesday’s board meeting, teachers and custodians came out in full force, speaking out against recent changes. El Paso teachers unions heard the district was going to get rid of its custodial staff and outsource. This rumor scared a lot

El Paso Police confirm the man killed in a high-speed motorcycle crash in northeast El Paso was a U.S. Army officer stationed at Ft. Bliss. Investigators say 24-year-old Sgt. Jerimia Krystecki was speeding when he lost control of his motorcycle Saturday afternoon near highway 54 and I-10 East. Krystecki was thrown from the motorcycle and

El Paso Police say dynamite was the cause of a loud blast heard across the city late Saturday night. Police say dynamite sticks were found at a home in the Lower Valley on Saturday afternoon. The bomb squad had to close off street in the neighborhood as the dynamite was removed. Police say the sticks

Dozens of ABC-7 viewers called and emailed the station Saturday night claiming they saw a “ball of fire” falling from the sky. El Paso Police dispatch confirmed the reports were valid and that what viewers had seen was a meteor shower. Our ABC-7 meteorologists checked with the National Weather Center, but it had no information

El Paso County pays private defense attorneys among the highest figures per indigent case in the state, according to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission. The Council of Judges this week sent a letter to county commissioners this week justifying a recent $15 hourly hike in attorney’s fees. “We’re just trying to counter the accusation that

Jurors in the murder trial of Miguel Tinoco are expected to continue deliberating Thursday morning at the El Paso County Courthouse downtown. Miguel Tinoco is facing two charges, murder and aggravated assault, after he allegedly plowed his car into a crowd outside a house party in El Paso’s lower valley in July 2012. Standing in

An El Paso airman who died overseas was remembered in Aviano, Italy last week. Staff Sgt. Heber Rosales, 27, was a maintenance supervisor with the 31st Munitions Squadron. The Fighter Wing won’t give more details on the death, saying his death is part of an ongoing investigation. Rosales had previous assignments at Holloman Air Force

“It’s like you don’t belong in the world, everything changes, your family dynamics,”Martina Rodriguez said. Her life changed forever after her son, Danny Nunez was murdered. The 27-year-old was shot-and-killed in 2012. Nunez is one of more than 1,000 victims whose names are listed on the crime victims memorial. Each of those names was read

El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar told ABC-7 on Friday that she can’t imagine commissioners court would be open to a tax hike to bail out El Paso Children’s Hospital. Former University Medical Center Board Chair Ron Acton will head a new strategic planning committee that will assess Children’s Hospital’s financial viability. He said his

Lower Valley residents are tired of fires that keep sparking at an abandoned house. The house is near the intersection of Sandoval Court and Candelaria Street. The latest fire happened early Tuesday morning, around 12:30 am. Firefighters tell us nobody was injured, but they don’t know what caused the fire. Neighbors say this is the

Police officers in Anthony, Texas are fuming over a proposal to take back a promised pay raise. The police chief confirms with ABC-7 — some have even threatened to quit! Tuesday night — Anthony’s city council met to discuss the budget for next year. It won’t be adopted for another six months. The city is

One man’s singing may be yelling to another. A Las Cruces man says he received a citation for violating the city’s noise ordinance because he and his brother were loudly signing while driving through an area where police were conducting a traffic enforcement operation. However, police say Erick Alvarez actually received the citation Wednesday for

An Anthony Police Department reserve officer has been charged with weapons smuggling. Alex Gamboa, who is also the former Precinct 6 constable, illegally exported “thirty (30) more or less, ceramic plate inserts for Level IV ballistic vests” the federal indictment states. Gamboa was arrested on March 19 and released from the El Paso County Detention

Two men whose truck broke down overnight on the gateway are now in the hospital with serious injuries. The men were run down by another driver on Gateway East right by Hawkins at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday. The driver who allegedly hit them also is in the hospital. El Paso Police say the two men

The criminal complaint against Eleazar Venzor, a Bowie High School teacher, details Venzor’s alleged interaction with one of his students. Venzor, 33, has been arrested on a charge of improper educator-student relationship. Correction: A previous version of this story stated the investigation began in January 2013, according to the criminal complaint, but El Paso Independent

In New Mexico there’s concern proposed changes to the state’s medical marijuana program will lead to a price hike. According to the New Mexico Department of Health changes are necessary to meet the needs of a growing number of patients in the program. The state also plans to increase the number licenses to grow and

Congressman Beto O’Rourke had his office conduct a survey of veterans in their database to determine the quality and access to care for primary and mental health at the El Paso VA. Just under 700 veterans participated in the survey. “Our survey shows that on average it takes a veteran 71 days to see a

A limited number of standing room only tickets remain for the Chihuahuas July 3 rd Celebrate America game against the Albuquerque Isotopes (Los Angeles Dodgers). Gates open at 5 p.m. and first pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m. The night celebrates America’s birthday and features a mini-flag giveaway for all fans with paid admission and