Funeral Procession For Sheriff Samaniego

EL PASO — Funeral services for Sheriff Leo Samaniego are underway at Harvest Christian Center in Northwest El Paso.

Samaniego was electedto the positionin 1984, and he brought with him a wealth of experience, with almost 30 years ofservice with the El Paso Police Department.

When Samaniego became sheriff, he took over an operation that was rampant with scandal and corruption. Two of the last three of his predecessors had been removed from office.

Many county residentsregarded Samaniego as the epitome of change. He was reelected five times, the lastwas in 2004.

Samaniego had taken a leave of absence in 2007 due to his failing health.

He had surgery to remove a cancerous right kidney. He returned to work on September after undergoing chemotherapy. Shortly thereafter, he announced his plans to step down when his current termexpires at the end of 2008.

Samaniego was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in 1997. At that time, he elected to try a non-traditional approach to fight the disease, choosing to focus on diet and detoxifying his body.