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Man who pleaded guilty to New Mexico double homicide is recaptured after brief escape

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Man who pleaded guilty to New Mexico double homicide is recaptured after brief escape


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A man awaiting sentencing in a double-homicide case was back in custody Sunday after escaping from a juvenile jail in Albuquerque.

Bernalillo County Sheriff’s officials said 19-year-old Josef Toney escaped Saturday afternoon from the Youth Detention Center and was taken into custody Sunday morning.

Deputies said video surveillance showed Toney opening a gate at the jail facility and running away. A man who lives in the area saw the escape and alerted authorities.

Court records show Toney pleaded guilty last month to two counts of first-degree murder. He was accused of fatally shooting two people at an apartment complex in northeast Albuquerque in January 2021 and wounding a third person.

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Toney was arrested nearly 10 months later in Colorado and extradited to New Mexico.

County prosecutors said Toney was set to be sentenced on June 26 and faced up to 51 years in prison.

He’s now facing an additional charge of escape or attempt to escape from jail.

Updated online court documents don’t show if Toney has a lawyer and a call to the county public defender’s office wasn’t immediately returned Sunday.

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New Mexico

‘Lightning in a bottle’: Bard Crawl brings ‘Taming of the Shrew’ to bars across New Mexico

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‘Lightning in a bottle’: Bard Crawl brings ‘Taming of the Shrew’ to bars across New Mexico


One rehearsal, no directors, multiple performances. Watch Williams Shakespeare go from the theater stage to local breweries through the month of June for the seventh iteration of “Bard Crawl: Taming of the Shrew,” where local actors bring plays to bars across the Albuquerque Metro area.



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New Mexico

Rita A. Tafoya Rita Tafoya of Albuquerque, New Mexico,

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Rita A. Tafoya Rita Tafoya of Albuquerque, New Mexico,


Jun. 9—Rita A. Tafoya Rita Tafoya of Albuquerque, New Mexico, passed away on March 14, 2022, at the age of 79. Born on January 16, 1943, Rita lived a full and vibrant life surrounded by love and laughter. Rita was a devoted partner to Jess Tafoya and a loving mother to her two children, Michelle and Le’Anne. She was also a proud grandmother to four wonderful grandchildren, Samantha, Shelby, Sabrina, and Sidney. Rita had a contagious sense of humor that could light up any room. She was known for her quick wit, bold personality, and all around beauty. Rita will be remembered for her warm smile, kind heart, and unwavering love for her family and friends. Although Rita may no longer be with us, her spirit and love will live on in the hearts of those who knew and cherished her. She will be deeply missed but never forgotten. A Memorial Service will be held at French Funerals and Cremations (Wyoming) on June 12, 2025 at 11:30am.



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Horse racing fans remember The Downs at Santa Fe as it’s demolished

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Horse racing fans remember The Downs at Santa Fe as it’s demolished


At his home just 5 miles from the recently razed grandstand of the former horse racing track southwest of Santa Fe, Tony Martinez’s mind wandered into the past.

He recalled the names of horses and jockeys from the 1970s — the brigade of swift thoroughbreds raising dust as the finish line approached. Much like the jubilant shouts sweeping through the crowds, they are just memories now, as is The Downs at Santa Fe.

The faded grandstand has been demolished, toppled in the last few weeks to make way for redevelopment plans by Pojoaque Pueblo, which purchased the struggling track in the 1990s and hoped to put it on the map with big races and, later, a “racino” with slot machines that could compete with tribal casinos — including its own operations. Those plans never came to fruition.

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Santa Fe horse trainer and racing enthusiast Tony Martinez talks about his days working at The Downs at in the 1970s with his wife, Lou Martinez. A former horse trainer, the 83-year-old Tony Martinez has almost perfect recall for races run at The Downs.

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‘A sentimental deal’



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The Downs at Santa Fe circa 1976. Racetrack anticipation burned hot in Santa Fe when the track opened in 1971: So popular was The Downs, a $5.5 million, 1-mile oval track, that on its opening day in June a crowd of 11,000 people lured to the events created traffic jams.










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Don Cook, now president of racing at The Downs Racetrack & Casino in Albuquerque, did about everything there is to do at The Downs at Santa Fe during his tenure there, working as a clocker, placing judge, stall superintendent and director of security.

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Out of the gates hot







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Racing at The Downs in September 1982. The racetrack, run by a company called Santa Fe Racing, began to experience financial difficulties even in its early years — doubt was cast on the 1976 racing season, with debts exceeding $3.5 million, according to reports in The Santa Fe New Mexican.



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Making name in Santa Fe



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Santa Fe horse trainer and racing enthusiast Tony Martinez goes through his scrapbook of winners at The Downs last week. “We had some really, really good times at The Downs,” Martinez said. “We really, really miss it. It just gets into your blood.”


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Gambling rise takes toll







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Steven Hollahan at The Downs in 1982.

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Competing with casinos







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Maintenance workers grade the track as trainers start to arrive at The Downs Racetrack & Casino last week. The Albuquerque track is one of five “racinos” in the state — Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino, Zia Park Casino Hotel & Racetrack in Hobbs, Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino and Sunray Park & Casino in Farmington.


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