New Mexico
Houston-area man accused of kidnapping New Mexico baby whose mom, another woman were killed
ABILENE, Texas – A Houston-area man is accused of kidnapping a 10-month-old girl whose mother and another woman were found shot and killed in New Mexico, federal officials say. Authorities say the baby later was found in Texas.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, 26-year-old Alek Isaiah Collins, of Manvel, was charged by criminal complaint with interstate kidnapping of a child.
Alek Collins (Photo: Abilene Police Department)
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Police in New Mexico say two 23-year-old women – Samantha Cisneros and Taryn Allen – were found shot to death at a park near Clovis on May 3. Cisneros’s 5-year-old daughter was also reportedly found on the ground with a head injury and was taken to the hospital.
Police discovered that Cisneros also had a 10-month-old daughter, who was not at the scene. An Amber Alert was issued for the girl.
According to federal officials, evidence indicated the potential involvement of a maroon Honda, and witnesses reported that a maroon or red sedan was at the park at around the time of the incident.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation revealed that Collins had rented a maroon Honda, and GPS data from the vehicle showed it near that park around the estimated time of the homicide. Collins was also allegedly linked to a phone that was in the area of the park around that time.
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Federal officials say the car was found at a home in Abilene, Texas, where the vehicle had been remotely disabled after Collins failed to return it to the owner on time.
Officers were preparing to execute a search warrant at the house when an Uber driver pulled up in an SUV and Collins came out of the home with the girl, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says. Collins allegedly put the girl in the backseat and then forced the Uber driver to get out of the vehicle at gunpoint before Collins drove away with the girl.
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Abilene police were able to bring the vehicle to a stop, arrest Collins and get the girl out of the car, federal officials say.
Authorities say Collins has no relation to the girl and does not have legal custody of her.
Collins appeared before a federal judge in Abilene on Tuesday morning and will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transfer to New Mexico.
This story was reported from Houston.
New Mexico
Isolated storms in eastern areas, but warmer weather
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Skies are partly to mostly clear with most similar or slightly milder than yesterday. Winds are a little breezy occasionally with the highest humidity values mostly from out east and to the north.
Air temperatures in the north are mostly starting off in the 30s to the low 50s. Elsewhere to the south, air temperatures are mostly ranging from around the high 30s to the low 60s.
Many areas from eastern New Mexico to the Pecos River Valley area will range from the high 60s to the 80s from north to south from high to low elevation. The northern higher elevations will mostly range from the high 40s to near 60°, while the northern valley floors to western and central areas will mostly range from the high 70s to the low 90s.
Southerly upper-level winds, in combination to the low-level moisture still lingering around the northern high elevations to out east, will lead to few thunderstorms capable of producing brief bouts of heavy rain, small hail, some lightning, & gusty conditions.
Ridging in the jet stream will then allow for clearer conditions, drier air, and for temperatures to rebound for the remainder of the week. However, slightly more thunderstorms will form for some eastern and mountainous areas late in the week, resulting in outflow-southeasterly winds to occasionally pick up.
Even hotter air returns late this weekend into early next week before thunderstorms are more likely to form next week.
New Mexico
Fog and severe thunderstorm risk for eastern New Mexico Thursday and Friday
Fog could cut visibility for the Thursday morning commute in eastern New Mexico before storms return and a severe weather risk builds Friday.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Fog could cut visibility for the Thursday morning commute in eastern New Mexico before storms return and a severe weather risk builds Friday.
Eastern New Mexico still has a very moist lower atmosphere for late May, with dewpoints in the 50s across the eastern plains, 40s through the Rio Grande Valley and 30s west toward Arizona.
That moisture will help low clouds and patchy fog reform late Wednesday night into early Thursday. The best chances for fog favor Clovis, Portales, Roswell, Tucumcari, Fort Sumner and Santa Rosa.
Some places could see reduced visibility Thursday morning, especially along Interstate 40, Highway 70 and Highway 285.
Low clouds and fog should gradually burn off by mid to late Thursday morning. After that, isolated to scattered afternoon thunderstorms are expected mainly along the east slopes of the central mountain chain.
Chief Meteorologist Eddie Garcia shares all the details in his full forecast in the video above.
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New Mexico
New Mexico early voting turnout surpasses 2024 Primary Election
New Mexico hospitals ranked for patient safety
New Mexico hospitals were ranked for patient safety by Leapfrog in its 2026 spring Hospital Safety Grade report.
With less than a week before the 2026 Primary Election nearly 95,000 New Mexicans have voted early.
Expanded early voting began May 16 and will end on May 30. The Primary Election is June 2.
According to data released on May 26 by the Secretary of State’s Office, there have been 94,930 ballots cast since early voting began on May 4.
In Doña Ana County, there have been 6,294 voters in Doña Ana County who voted early. There have been 4,706 Democrats who have voted early with 1,567 Republicans and 646 who declined to state a party affiliation. There have been 2,023 residents who have voted absentee.
New Mexico has semi-open primary elections, which means voters who are not registered with a qualified political party may also participate in the election by selecting which major party’s ballot they want to vote on without changing their voter registration.
According to the Secretary of State’s office, there have been 9,000 voters in New Mexico who were not registered with qualified political parties, who have voted in the Primary Election ― 6,962 who voted in the Democrat Primary and 2,038 who have voted in the Republican Primary.
In Doña Ana County, 516 voters who were not registered with qualified political parties have voted in the Democrat Primary and 134 who voted in the Republican Primary.
Approximately 90,000 New Mexicans utilized early voting ahead of the 2024 Primary Election and 5,848 people voted early in Doña Ana County (4,195 Democrats, 18 Libertarian, 1,635 Republicans).
The total 2022 Primary Election turnout for the county was 16.41% or 15,499 ballots cast and the 2020 Primary Election turnout was 29.29% or 26,055 ballots cast.
Where to vote in Doña Ana County
Early voting at the Doña Ana County Government Center began on May 5 from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until May 29, and on Saturday, May 30 from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m.
Alternate site early voting locations will begin on May 16 at 11 a.m., and run through May 30 from Tuesday through Saturday.
The alternate site locations in Doña Ana County are:
- Anthony Library (750 Landers Anthony)
- HVPS Student Services (350 Main St. Hatch)
- Doña Ana County Community College (755 Prescott Anthony Dr. Chaparral)
- Doña Ana County Community College (2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd. Las Cruces)
- Doña Ana County Community College (3365 McNutt Rd. Sunland Park)
- Las Cruces City Hall (700 N. Main St. Las Cruces)
- Mesilla Town Hall (2231 Avenida de Mesilla Mesilla)
- Corbett Center Student Union (1600 International Mall Las Cruces)
Doña Ana County voting locations on Election Day are open from 7 a.m. through 7 p.m. Mailed ballots must be received no later than 7 p.m.
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