Month: July 2014

Friends and family of a man killed in Las Cruces last week gathered for his funeral on Tuesday. Carlos Nevarez III was killed after his girlfriend allegedly ran over him on purpose. Dozens of people gathered to remember Nevarez at the Masonic Cemetary. Nevarez was a father, a Marine and a volunteer firefighter. “If you

Las Cruces Police have arrested a man for allegedly downloading more than 200 images of child pornography within the past nine months. Michael Herber, 44, of the 2900 block of Lake Valley Ave., is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child. A Las Cruces Police computer forensics expert learned through an automated

Four homeless women in Las Cruces will move from tents to a house. The Las Cruces City Council voted to give a home in Mesilla Park to the Community of Hope, a local group that helps the homeless. It’s a decision that had many residents upset. People packed the City Council chambers inside City Hall.

Las Cruces Police arrested three men and a woman they believed to be involved in holding an 18-year-old man against his will have been arrested and charged with kidnapping. Craig E. Luchetti, 33, Stephen Alvarez, 35, Adam Aceves Barela, 36, and Veronica M. Altamirano, 31, are each charged with one first-degree felony count of kidnapping.

Two sisters in Las Cruces are leading a class-action lawsuit against the Dona Ana County Detention Center. The lawsuit alleges the jail has been keeping immigrants imprisoned illegally, causing them severe emotional and mental trauma. “I don’t want anyone else to go through what me, my daughter and my sister went through,” said one of

The former site of the Las Cruces Country Club could be turned into a multi-use plaza with a medical center. The Greenes have lived on the edge of the country club for more than 20 years. Over the years, they’ve seen the once-green golf course deteriorate. “We’ve watched the beautiful greenery and enjoyed the golfers

Thousands of employees at White Sands Missile Range will be furloughed this year because of federal budget cuts. “It’s not fun. No one wants to receive a furlough letter. When it’s handed to you, it’s not something you want to do, but frankly it’s the reality of working with the Department of Defense within the

The man on trial for the deaths of three people near Las Cruces has been found guilty of murder and has been sentenced to three consecutive life sentences. Eugene “Gino” Ferri was on trial for the 2010 deaths of Gille Delisle, Helga Delisle, and Peter Weith. Ferri took the stand on Tuesday and denied killing

Part of the site of the former Las Cruces Country Club is being proposed as the site for a new hospital that would specialize in cardiac medicine. If rezoning of the 30-acre site is approved, the 42-bed Park Ridge Medical Center project proposed by Galichia Hospital Group LLC would help fill an area that is

Monday’s fire on the border of Sunland Park and El Paso was especially difficult to put out. Fire officials took ABC-7 on a tour of the affected area to show us what crews faced. Smoke and flames threatened homes in El Paso on Monday. Worried El Pasoans sprayed water on their homes, hoping to stave

One of the buildings at the Santa Teresa Country Club caught fire. It’s just one more thing as the country club and golf course fade into disrepair. Frustration among residents is climbing. Many are wondering if it was arson. “I’m not familiar with any vandalism. People feel safe to leave doors unlocked. Neighbors know each

The Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office is seeking witnesses who may have information on a homicide this month in Berino, New Mexico. Sheriff’s investigators say 41-year-old Juan Perez was unresponsive when they arrived at a residential area off Saltbush Road on the afternoon of May 18, 2013. According to witnesses, Perez had been drinking alcohol

The producers of “Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy” shot several segments featuring the the New Mexico Museum of Space History and staff members last December. The segment, entitled Larry Gets Lost In Space, will air on the History Channel today, May 22 at 7 p.m. MST. “We spent almost all day with

Eugene “Gino” Ferri (50) goes to trial Monday for the shooting deaths of three people. The homicides took place three years ago in Mesilla Hills, near Las Cruces. Ferri, 50, faces three counts of first degree murder. The trial is expected to last two weeks. Investigators allege he shot a local couple and their business

Students from Las Cruces and Onate high schools will not miss graduation after all. Thirteen students are competing in softball and track and field competitions in Albuquerque on Saturday, May 18. Their graduations are also slated for Saturday at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces. The Las Cruces Public Schools technical support services department

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated the silver alert had been cancelled for Victor Vargas. New Mexico State Police had erroneously said it was cancelled but have since corrected the statement. New Mexico State Police is updating the following Silver Alert in New Mexico. Victor Vargas, who has Alzheimer’s disease left his El

Fifty-one New Mexico convicts were released early because of mistakes in the system. Corrections Department officials said these errors were made for nearly a decade before they discovered this. Las Crucens were shocked to hear the news. “I hope they resolve it for the safety of all of us,” said Las Crucen Joe Baca. “I

A Las Cruces man who murdered his wife and her three children could be granted parole this year. Jackie Gannon still remembers the events that changed her life in 1979. Her stepfather Clifton Skidgel shot and killed her mother. Then he came after her. “He came into my room, and I was on my hands

A former New Mexico State Police officer is under investigation for allegedly drugging and raping two women, according to a KRQE-TV news report. Joe Ballesteros, 44, resigned from state police in April and has not been charged with any crime. KRQE, citing sources familiar with the investigation who requested anonimity, said that two women have

ABC-7 received emails from Las Cruces parents who were concerned about a new website spreading rumors about their children. School district officials are calling it a “viral attack.” After just two days of being open, the Twitter account called LCPS Confessions gained nearly 1,000 followers. One of the victims, who did not want to be

Ever wondered if fighting a red light camera ticket is worth it? One Las Cruces man did and he won. “I was surprised. To be honest, when you haven’t heard anything in about two years,” said Cristobal Rodriguez. Rodriguez received a red light camera ticket for speeding in Las Cruces, but he said he was

Residents of a mobile home park in west Las Cruces watched as flames burned down three houses. Families lost everything, including some of their pets. “There’s nothing left of the trailers, nothing left of the people’s lives. They lost everything they had,” said Larry Merritt, one of the residents who witnessed the fire. The people

5/3 Update: Charges against a Mayfield High School wrestling coach were dismissed on Wednesday. Third Judicial District Attorney Mark D’Antonio told ABC-7 there was a procedural error in the indictment. D’Antonio said his office is still pursuing the case. He said they are discussing whether to pursue the case through another grand jury indictment or

Two men were left with wounds all over their faces and upper bodies after they were shot in front of their home. It happened on the 3800 block of Eastview Avenue, just outside of Las Cruces. The two victims did not want to be identified. They told ABC-7 they were sitting on the front porch

Gay marriage advocates across New Mexico cheered Wednesday night as the state capital put its support behind the issue. Advocates said it’s a huge step in the right direction. “I’m 52 years old. I never thought we’d be having this conversation in my lifetime. When I was growing up and coming out, we weren’t thinking

Education officials say high school students in Las Cruces are setting standards for the nation. Now school districts across New Mexico want to copy that success. In 2010 the Arrowhead Park Early College High School became the first of its kind in the state. Students there work hands on. Each of them is focused on

A district judge in Las Cruces sentenced Robert Flores to 18 years for the death of his 5-month-old daughter. Family and friends of both the defendant and the victim cried as both sides made emotional arguments. “She hated to be alone for even a second. I can’t imagine how scared she was that night being

The case surrounding a crash that killed two people on Highway 70 in Las Cruces could be over. Shauna Halladay, 22, was scheduled to be in court Monday morning. Instead, a prosecutor dismissed the charges against her the same day they were filed. Members of the car crash victims’ family are not happy about it.

The New Mexico Department of Health announced today a spike in syphilis cases in 2012. According to the Department’s provisional data, New Mexico doctors reported 101 cases of primary and secondary syphilis, or 4.9 per 100,000. This is the highest number and rate since 1988. In 2000, syphilis, a once common sexually transmitted disease, dropped

Farmers in southern New Mexico are worried after irrigation officials declared this the worst water year ever. Some farmers think the high demand for groundwater could eventually dry up the aquifer. With small water allotments from the Elephant Butte Irrigation District, farmers will have to depend on groundwater. Near Hatch, groundwater reserves are not very