PHOENIX – Officials with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children say new information may lead to a break in a cold case involving an unidentified girl.

In a statement, a spokesperson said an initial genealogy research on the girl, identified only as ‘Jane Doe,’ discovered that the girl may have relatives and friends in the Phoenix area. She may also have relatives or friends in Benton County, which is located in southern Washington.

The girl was found dead on May 2, 1996 in Albuquerque, N.M.

“At the time of her death, she was estimated to have been between 14 and 19 years old and was between 5-foot-2-inches tall and 5-foot-4-inches tall. She is believed to have had light brown to reddish hair and light eyes,” read a portion of the statement. “Jane Doe was found wearing light blue Levi jeans, a V-neck ribbed sweater and a black lace bra. When she was discovered, her body had been wrapped in trash bags.”

A facial reconstruction illustration, which was completed by forensic artists with NCMEC, was also shared out.

Anyone with information should call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678) or the Albuquerque Police Department at 1-877-765-8273.

On Friday Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, announced a $60 million investment from the Biden administration for water conservation and drought resilience along the Rio Grande.

The federal funding will improve water protections in the lower Rio Grande Basin between Elephant Butte and El Paso, which has had issues with water loss and legal battles in recent years.

The $60 million that the Bureau of Reclamation has invested is a part of the $500 million dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act for water management outside the Colorado River Basin.

Haaland said the bureau will work through existing agreements with local irrigation districts on projects that have the potential to save millions of gallons of water per year.

U.S. Supreme Court questions both positions in Rio Grande water case

“When drought conditions like this strike, we know it doesn’t just impact one community. It affects all of us,” she said. “We all have a role and an obligation to use water wisely, manage our resources with every community in mind, work collaboratively and respect each other during this challenging time.”

Rebecca Roose, Infrastructure advisor for Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, said a recently published Water Action Plan predicts over the next 50 years New Mexico will have 25% less water than today.

“How are we going to ensure that our cultural resources and our cultural opportunities, that families are able to thrive, that we have a vibrant economy that meets the needs of our state,” she said.

The additional funds will go towards infrastructure repairs to improve water supplies and water delivery systems around the region. They will also help build increased storage for existing dams and stormwater capture systems.

This water will be used to revitalize aquifers, reduce irrigation demands and improve wildlife habitat for endangered species.

The Rio Grande provides water for agricultural food production and drinking water to New Mexico and Texas. The 23-year drought has plagued the region with record low water levels throughout the basin.

Haaland said additional funding for other basins will be announced later this summer or fall.

Support for this coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation. KUNM first republished this article. It is republished here with permission.

BELEN, N.M. – One of the owners of Roadrunner Pit Stop gas station in Belen says someone tried robbing his store early Sunday morning.

Carlo Trujillo says it happened between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. Sunday. His brother took a video, showing how much damage there is to the store.

Trujillo told KOB 4 two people broke into the store with a sledgehammer, hooked up the ATM to a truck they stole and tried driving off. But the stolen car broke down before they could get away. As of Sunday, the truck was still there.

Trujillo says there’s extensive damage to the entire building, including structural damage. The ATM was destroyed. 

Trujillo says right now, they don’t know when the store will reopen. The gas pumps on the outside are still working.

This all comes as the gas station works to reopen its restaurant, Fat Sat’s Bar and Grill. Trujillo told us they’ve been trying to reopen it since COVID-19. The timeline is to reopen by June, they’re hoping this attempted robbery won’t set that back.

They don’t believe there was any damage to the restaurant. All the owners are working with Belen police to try and capture the two suspects. They were able to retrieve surveillance video from the store Sunday morning.

We reached out to Belen Police Department but haven’t heard back.