Southwest
NM lawmaker whose son was murdered rips Dems for ‘homicide scholarships’ after her crime bill was tanked
A New Mexico lawmaker whose son was murdered by a juvenile expressed outrage this week after her criminal justice bill was tanked in favor of what some on the right are calling a “homicide scholarship” program.
State Rep. Nicole Chavez of Albuquerque said Thursday she is “sickened” by the developments.
“New Mexico Democrats voted to hand offenders like my son’s killer $2,000 a month—some twisted reward for shattering my family,” Chavez said of the “homicide scholarship” moniker first dubbed by state Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, earlier this month.
That bill would provide a monthly stipend for certain former convicts under the age of 26 seeking educational opportunities or other ways to get on the proverbial straight-and-narrow, according to multiple reports.
Per the text of the bill, it would provide money for the Juvenile Community Connections Fund to be used toward programs providing services for adjudicated delinquents and youth, and establish a panel to determine the next steps for a convict released from a juvenile facility.
“I sponsored HB 134 to deliver justice and accountability, but they refused to come to the table,” Chavez said of her original bill.
Chavez’s bill, which had the support of Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, was effectively tanked by Democrats in the House – reportedly including some originally warm to it.
HB 134 sought to update 1970’s-era New Mexico laws outlining the criminal justice process for juveniles, including moving some violent crimes like first-degree murder for younger teen suspects to adult court.
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Lujan Grisham and a handful of Democratic prosecutors supported the bill, according to the Piñon Post, but four Democrats in the Consumer & Public Affairs Committee successfully tabled the bill, which has yet to see further movement as the session winds down.
“This is not progress—it is a knife in the heart of every parent who has buried a child,” Chavez said Thursday. “New Mexico Democrats have turned their backs on victims and their families, choosing instead to reward the very criminals who destroyed our lives.”
Instead, the purported “homicide scholarship” bill was given a reading and passed by the House earlier this month.
Montoya told the Santa Fe New Mexican the new bill, HB 255, is “a perfect example of how progressives think about crime, that the individual doesn’t need to be held responsible for their actions – [in that they] need to be coddled, that they’re somehow a victim themselves, and we need to make sure that they have an opportunity, and we need to do everything we can to rehabilitate them even when it means we do more for them than the victims.”
Lujan Grisham did not respond to requests for comment on the latter bill.
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The governor approved a criminal justice package earlier this month that reportedly targeted fentanyl trafficking in the border state and dealt with suspects deemed mentally unfit for trial and grand theft auto penalties.
However, she was also lambasted by Republicans for supporting what conservatives called one of the strictest pieces of gun control legislation last week. Meanwhile, another top House Republican called the “homicide scholarship” bill “another betrayal to New Mexicans.”
“Democrats have forced through legislation that gives juvenile murderers $2,000 monthly scholarships, funded by the sweat of hardworking taxpayers. This isn’t compassion—it’s a perverse reward for bloodshed, a signal to every thug that crime pays in this state,” said Rep. Stefani Lord of Sandia Park.
Rep. Andrea Reeb, R-Clovis, added that “Homicide Scholarships should alarm every New Mexican who fears for their safety,” and that the signal sent by the bill is that “crime truly pays.”
“Instead of passing common-sense legislation [from Chavez] … they are playing political games at the expense of victims and taxpayers,” Reeb said, while Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo, added that in the Land of Enchantment, “victims get ignored; thugs get pampered.”
Fox News Digital reached out for a response from Senate President Pro-Tem Mimi Stewart and House Speaker Javier Martinez, both Albuquerque Democrats.
New Mexico State ‘Roundhouse’ in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Getty Images )
House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski, D-Santa Fe, also did not respond by press time.
One Democrat, Rep. Andrea Romero of Santa Fe, spoke to the Albuquerque Journal about her opposition to Chavez’ bill, saying that “we’re talking about detaining and committing children.” An Albuquerque prosecutor also cited a 57% increase in juvenile crime in a one-year period through 2023.
Lujan Grisham told the paper that she will continue to urge lawmakers to “answer the call” on juvenile justice reform.
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A Connors State College basketball player died after suffering an in-game head injury, school officials said.
Sophomore Ethan Dietz died Tuesday, the school said in a statement posted to its Facebook page.
School spokesperson Shannon Rigsby said initial reports indicate Dietz suffered some type of head injury.
The ball drops through the hoop during the third quarter of a Mid-American Conference regular-season women’s basketball game between the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks and the Toledo Rockets Jan. 25, 2023, at Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio. (Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“The Cowboy family has suffered an unimaginable loss. As you know, sophomore Ethan Dietz was injured during a men’s basketball game on Saturday. He passed away this morning, November 25,” the school’s statement said.
“Ethan exemplified what it means to be a Cowboy, to value hard work and being part of a team. While the team and the Cowboy community are processing our own grief, our hearts go out to his family and friends.
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Several games were canceled after Dietz’s death. (iStock)
“Ethan’s loss reminds us all how precious life is and how much those around us impact our lives. As we move through this loss together as a community, let’s be inspired by Ethan’s spirit, friendship and love.”
Several of the college’s men’s and women’s basketball games were canceled after Dietz’s death.
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Dietz was averaging 11 points per game. (iStock)
Dietz was a 6-foot-8 forward from Vilonia, Arkansas, who was averaging 11 points per game through eight games this season. He had eight points and four rebounds in 20 minutes Saturday before he was injured.
A vigil in his honor is scheduled for Dec. 1 at the college’s campus in Warner, Oklahoma.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Southwest
Pregnant widow shares husband’s final text before alleged fatal sucker punch outside Arizona bar
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A pregnant widow recalled the last text message from her husband before he was killed in an altercation outside a bar in Scottsdale, Arizona, earlier this month.
Thomas John “TJ” Pizzitola, 29, was found lying unconscious on a sidewalk around 2:15 a.m. on Oct. 11 near Pattie’s First Avenue Lounge, after he and two friends were kicked out for unruly behavior, FOX10 Phoenix reported.
Pizzitola and his two friends had been walking outside to a rideshare pickup when one friend allegedly bumped into a woman. Drew Meneses, 24, then allegedly sucker-punched Pizzitola, knocking him unconscious.
Pizzitola’s wife, Krisan, said she had dropped him off at the lounge for what was supposed to be a fun night out with his friends just weeks before their son was due to be born.
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Thomas John “TJ” Pizzitola, 29, had gone out for a night with friends when the incident happened in the early morning hours of Oct. 11 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Pizzitola Family via FOX10 Phoenix KSAZ)
“I texted him that I had gotten home and he texted me back and said that he wished that I was there, but that he was so proud of me for staying home and taking care of our baby boy and that he loved me,” Krisan told the outlet.
“That was the last text I ever got from him,” she added.
Pizzitola was rushed to a hospital, though he later died from a fatal brain injury.
On Oct. 22, police arrested five people in connection with his death, including Meneses, who was charged with second-degree murder.
Drew Meneses, 24, was charged with second-degree murder and is being held on $1 million bond. (Scottsdale Police Department / Maricopa County Jail)
Meneses is being held on $1 million bond. He told the court that the incident “was a bad night,” according to the outlet.
“It was not supposed to happen like that at all and there was no malicious intent for that at all,” he said.
Prosecutor Angela Andrews said cellphone video shows Pizzitola “standing with his arms to his side” when Meneses walks “up behind him and essentially sucker punch him in the head,” according to the outlet.
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The other suspects include Julius Husser, 27, Tony Becker, 26, and Mark Whitford, 23, all of whom were charged with aggravated assault. Husser and Becker each face an additional charge of assault. A fifth suspect, 27-year-old Krista Molina, was charged with assault and disorderly conduct.
Julius Husser, 27, from left, Tony Becker, 26, and Mark Whitford, 23, and Krista Molina, 27, were all charged in connection with the assault. (Scottsdale Police Department / Maricopa County Jail)
Krisan is due to give birth to a baby boy next month.
“I’m trying so hard not to be so angry at this situation and try to be the strong woman that he thinks that I am,” she told the outlet.
Krisan added that she is going to name the child TJ Vito as a tribute to his late father.
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“All he ever wanted to be was the best father ever and the best husband,” she said. “But he wasn’t finished.”
A GoFundMe page for the family said Pizzitola will continue to help others through organ donation.
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A 13-year-old girl in Texas narrowly escaped an attempted abduction in broad daylight Monday when a man tried to grab her from behind as she walked to school, authorities said. Officials said the suspect appeared to be wearing a ski mask.
The encounter happened as the teenager was walking to Central Middle School in Galveston shortly before 7 a.m., when she suddenly “heard footsteps approaching from behind,” according to the Galveston Police Department.
The unidentified man reportedly grabbed her from behind, sparking a brief struggle.
The teen bit the man twice and broke free without sustaining any physical injuries, officials said. She then ran directly to the school and informed her teachers, who called the police.
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The man accused of attempting to kidnap a 13-year-old girl is seen walking in Galveston, Texas, Oct. 27, 2025. (Galveston Police Department)
The student’s parents later arrived at the school to accompany officers back to their apartment and retrace her route, helping them pinpoint exactly where the incident occurred.
Investigators obtained security footage from a nearby business that shows the student walking through the area, followed shortly by a man taking the same path, police said.
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A man seen on surveillance video is accused of grabbing a 13-year-old girl walking to school in Galveston, Texas, Oct. 27, 2025. (Galveston Police Department/Google Maps)
Authorities said the video shows the suspect, believed to be a white or Hispanic male, wearing a black short-sleeve shirt, blue jeans and what appeared to be a ski mask.
Police also issued an alert to local medical centers, asking them to notify authorities if anyone sought treatment for bite-related injuries.
Police say a man with what appeared to be a ski mask tried to abduct a 13-year-old girl in Galveston, Texas, Oct. 27, 2025. (Galveston Police Department)
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Officials urged anyone with information about the suspect’s identity to contact the Galveston Police Department at 409-763-3777.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Galveston Police Department for more information.
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