Month: January 2018

A Harris County grand jury has indicted six people who served on the economic development board of a Texas city for violating the state’s open-meetings law. The Harris County district attorney’s office said in a statement Tuesday that the six served on the board for Pasadena, southeast of Houston. Prosecutors say the panel met privately

A New Mexico state senator who is running for governor has proposed replacing criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana with a $50 fine. Democratic Sen. Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces introduced a bill that would provide a purely monetary penalty for low-level marijuana violations. The Senate approved a similar bill last year

The former Riverside Middle School teacher accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old student was sentenced to deferred probation after pleading guilty. In October 2017, police charged Adam Lee Newport, 35, with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student. The district attorney’s office told ABC-7 Newport pleaded guilty to several

Productos Real, a food manufacturing company that makes pork rinds, is out of compliance with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), a city official told ABC-7. This comes after numerous residents complained to the City of El Paso about the strong odor allegedly coming from the plant, located at 1100 Pendale Drive. “We have

The Department of Public Health received four more reports of flu related deaths in the El Paso area. The recent deaths bring the total of flu-related deaths to seven in the area this season. Among the four deaths, were two men in their 80’s, a woman in her 70’s and a woman in her 80’s.

Authorities in Mexico’s northern border city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas say they have cleared 10 roadblocks erected by drug cartel members following two days of violence that left six suspects dead. The state government said gang members burned tires and hijacked vehicles to block streets at 10 points throughout the city. It said all the blockades

The Justice Department ramped up pressure Wednesday on so-called sanctuary cities seeking public safety grant money, warning state and local officials they could be legally forced to prove they are cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The move prompted immediate backlash, with mayors from across the country announcing they would boycott a planned meeting at the

El Paso Police arrested and charged five men in connection to a violent home invasion and burglary in northeast El Paso. The burglary was reported at 12:20 am on Saturday January 2, 2018 at 9960 McCombs. Khalil Downey, 20; Xavier White, 22; Dejean Albert, 23; Andrew Wells, 19; and Dominique Elliot, 21, allegedly worked together

A Las Cruces man charged with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute pled guilty Wednesday in a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s office. Gilberto Garcia, 42, was arrested last October after law enforcement seized approximately 128 grams of meth from Garcia’s vehicle, according to a criminal complaint. In entering the guilty plea, Garcia admitted

Las Cruces police say a man displayed a handgun and demanded prescription drugs around noon Wednesday at a Walgreens located on 2300 E. Lohman Avenue. Police say the suspect was last seen leaving the store and heading south from the pharmacy on foot. Police are continue their investigation. Nearby schools were placed on shelter-in-place as

Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested a Sunland Park couple accused of trafficking cocaine and using a child in a ploy to hide narcotics from investigators On January 11, 2018, DEA agents were conducting surveillance on Ruben Hernandez, “known for participating in the distribution of illegal narcotics,” a criminal complaint states. Hernandez left his residence on

Videos of Border Patrol officers removing a woman from a passenger bus in Florida are raising alarm over a routine exercise that experts call questionable and rights groups deemed problematic as enforcement of immigration laws expands. A college student who was aboard reported seeing three U.S. Border Patrol representatives waiting to enter a Miami-bound Greyhound

Las Cruces police arrested a man Monday suspected of kicking an 8-year-old girl on the lower back and smoking meth in a home occupied by the girl and her two younger siblings. LCPD also arrested the mother of the three siblings Tuesday. Ashley Thurman, 29, is charged with two counts of child abuse not resulting

Elton John is retiring from the road after his upcoming three-year global tour, capping nearly 50 years on stages around the world. He calls it a “way to go out with a bang.” “I’ve had a good run, I think you’d admit that,” John said Wednesday, adding that he wanted to “leave people thinking, ‘I

A federal judge in Virginia has thrown out a lawsuit over “hate group” labels that were given to dozens of nonprofit groups on a website that maintains a database of information about U.S. charities. U.S. District Judge Raymond Jackson ruled Tuesday that the First Amendment protects GuideStar USA Inc.’s “expressive right to comment on social

As more female soldiers move into frontline combat jobs, the Army’s top leaders have decided to integrate female officers into infantry and armor brigades at three more military bases around the country. The decision comes a year after the first women began enlisting in the ground combat units, and it will send female officers to

A sheriff says a man who jumped out of the front row of a comedy club in South Carolina and attacked a comedian who was using him as part of his show should have sat in the back if he didn’t want to be picked on. Marvin Toatley, 28, faces a number of charges in

For the first time, researchers have used the cloning method that produced Dolly the sheep to create two healthy monkeys, bringing science an important step closer to being able to do the same with humans. Since Dolly’s birth in 1996, scientists have cloned nearly two dozen kinds of mammals, including dogs, cats, pigs, cows and

The troubled retailer, which declared bankruptcy in September, is looking to close down as many as 182 outlets across the country, according to a court filing late Tuesday. That includes El Paso’s Westside location at 801 Mesa Hills Drive. Over nearly seven decades in business, Toys “R” Us has built up 1,600 stores around the

Scenic Drive provides some of the best views of the Borderland for visitors, many of whom stop to take photos or enjoy the usually pleasant weather. There is one area that has several historical markers and plaques with information and facts about the region, except some of that information is now outdated. Some of the

Pope Francis released a message condemning “fake news,” saying that it’s a “sign of intolerant and hypersensitive attitudes, and leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred.” The Vatican says the message is part of the Pope’s World Communications Day, but some at St. Peter’s Square say the Pope was probably sending a message

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – New Mexico’s top education official has been told to resign by a state senator who guides the confirmation process for political appointments. Democratic state Sen. Linda Lopez of Albuquerque on Monday called on Public Education Secretary-Designate Christopher Ruszkowski to resign over his comments last month about Manifest Destiny and proposed

The Las Cruces Police Department says the actions of two 19-year-old parents has led to the death of their 7-week-old baby. ABC-7 searched the mother and father’s Facebook page for more answers. On Nov. 29, Marcus Minnick announced the birth of Mattie Lenore Kimberly Minnick. She was said to be born 21 inches long, seven

I-10 West closed at at Yarbrough 9pm-6am Racetrack to Paisano closed 9pm-6am Paisano closed from Supr 1966 to San Antonio 9pm-6am Right lane closed on Mesa from North Desert- Osborne US-54 closed northbound at Hondo Pass 9pm-6am US-54 closed southbound from Sean Haggerty to Hondo Pass 9pm-6am Lane closures on Gateway North from Hondo Pass

The parents of a 7-week-old girl allegedly ‘shaken violently’ are now charged with a first-degree felony count of child abuse resulting in death, Las Cruces Police said. In court documents obtained by ABC-7’s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom, the victim is identified as 7-week-old Mattie Minnick. Las Cruces Police said Tuesday Mattie died at University Medical

A man was transported to the hospital after domestic dispute in far east El Paso Wednesday morning. Fire crews were at the scene of the incident on the 1700 block of Dana Michelle Street around 12:45 a.m. Emergency responders told ABC-7 the man was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The male victim may

The El Paso Rhinos are off to a strong start this season and the team is always looking for different ways to train its players. Tuesday afternoon the team tried some ballet. Players ditched the ice skates and hockey sticks and instead attended a class at the British Ballet Academy in east El Paso. Ballet

A bold proclamation by city officials: “The City of El Paso is building the Multipurpose Performing Arts and Entertainment Center.” Solicitations to build the project will expire next month, so in an effort to avoid further delays, El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said the City is reissuing the solicitations, a process expected to last about

An Austin police officer who was reprimanded for the violent arrest of a black woman in 2015 has been fired for his conduct in a more recent arrest. Bryan Richter’s dismissal Monday stemmed from a case in which he and other officers were serving a warrant nearly six months ago. Officer Steven McCurley was also