New Mexico

Former New Mexico priest indicted on child sex abuse charges

Published

1 year ago

June 30, 2023

Former New Mexico priest indicted on child sex abuse charges

Balizan was serving as the pastor of Santa Maria de la Paz in Santa Fe when he was accused of sexually abusing a minor. The archdiocese said in a statement that it promptly reported the sexual abuse allegations to authorities upon being informed in 2022 and that he was immediately removed from his position as a pastor.

The statement said the archdiocese has a “zero tolerance” policy related to sexual abuse and “unwavering dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of its community members, especially the vulnerable.” The archdiocese said it has an ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and support for the survivors of abuse.

“Most Reverend John C. Wester, archbishop of Santa Fe, urges the faithful to keep all victims of clergy sexual abuse in their prayers,” the statement read. “The archdiocese remains fully committed to cooperating with the authorities as they conduct their investigation.”

The archdiocese encouraged anyone who was sexually abused as a minor or knows about sexual abuse of a minor to report it to the civil authorities. If an abuser is a member of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe or a volunteer or employee, the archdiocese also asked that it be reported to the Archdiocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at 505-831-8144 or aklimka@archdiosf.org.

The sexual abuse allegations were investigated by the Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. The FBI received assistance from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory.

“We have and will continue to do everything we possibly can to protect our children from predators who seek to do them harm by abusing their inherent positions of trust,” Raul Bujanda, FBI special agent in charge, said in a statement.

Source link

Click to comment

New Mexico

Sandoval County Sheriff's Office receives more than $1M to tackle backlog of felony warrants

Published

6 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Press Room

Sandoval County Sheriff's Office receives more than M to tackle backlog of felony warrants

The Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office is getting more than a million dollars to chip away at a backlog of felony warrants.

SANDOVAL COUNTY, N.M. – The Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office is getting more than a million dollars to chip away at a backlog of felony warrants.

“According to dispatch it is just under 500, 470 or so, and those are warrants that we are trying to target at this point,” said Sandoval County Undersheriff Joe Gonzales.

Gonzales says this is their second round of money this year. They got together with Bernalillo County, Rio Rancho police, and Corrales police to put together a taskforce to make the process easier.

“So some of these people are reoffenders and if they do not appear in court they never face the consequences of their crime. When we do these, that is what we are trying to get at, reoffenders and the most violent of the warrants that we have at this point,” said Gonzales.

The grant will give the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office the money they need to pay deputies overtime, allowing them to knock on doors and clear warrants.

“As you know, Albuquerque had a huge problem with gun violence. Rio Rancho and Sandoval County, we don’t have that big of a problem, but what we do have is property crimes,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales says as the population grows, it’s even more important to make sure everyone is safe. That means getting this backlog under control.

“These people have been charged with a crime they either failed to appear in court, or they appeared and absconded. At this point, those are the people that we want to bring back to the court and have their cases adjudicated,” said Gonzales.

Source link

New Mexico

New Mexico (NMAA) high school football playoffs: 2024 brackets, semifinal matchups, game times

Published

14 hours ago

November 19, 2024

Press Room

New Mexico (NMAA) high school football playoffs: 2024 brackets, semifinal matchups, game times

Playoff season continues in New Mexico high school football.

The postseason dwindles down this week as classes 2A-7A start the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 22, along with the 8-man championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23.

>>New Mexico high school football playoff brackets

Stick with High School on SI for all of the matchups, game times and scores throughout the 2024 New Mexico (NMAA) high school football playoffs.

7 p.m. Friday

2024 New Mexico Class 2A bracket

Championship game matchup

(1) Melrose vs. (4) Mesilla Valley Christian School

1 p.m. Saturday

2024 New Mexico Class 8-Man bracket

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App

— Ben Dagg @sblivesports

Source link