ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Timothy Busfield’s sexual abuse allegations have brought a lot of attention to what happens behind the scenes on TV and film sets.

With the growing film industry in New Mexico, a local nonprofit that advocates for background actors of all ages says there are rules that need to be followed, especially when it comes to child actors.

Ruby Garcia is the president of the Background Actors Association of New Mexico. She estimates 30% of background actors are children. To set foot on the set, they need to have a work permit.

She was shocked after finding out about Busfield’s sexual abuse allegations against two children on a set in New Mexico. “It’s disgusting, it’s disappointing, and for a child, it’s it’s traumatic. And I, you know, been doing acting for about eight years. I want to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

Garcia says her association works alongside thousands of extras to make sure their working conditions are within protocol.

“If they have any kind of issues with sexual harassment not being, you know, or protocol properly followed, they can submit a report to my organization, and we will take it and we will we’re not attorneys or legal advisors, but we will advocate, and we will contact the, you know, correct departments that we need to follow up with and look into the situation,” says Garcia.

Under child labor laws, children can only work a certain number of hours and have to meet certain safety requirements. Garcia says one of those requirements includes having a parent responsible for the minor on set, unless they’re working with a set or studio teacher.

“The teachers have a background check. They have to be certified in the state of New Mexico with a license, licensing, and teaching certificate, license, whatever they call it. Parents are the ultimate responsibility of that child on set,” says Garcia.

Throughout Busfield’s criminal complaint, the victim’s mom says that they were given an iPad so that parents could watch their children while they were filming. She then claims that they stopped handing them out after a while.

“This upsets me, because something failed. If you see something, say something and don’t be you know, fearful of what what the outcome is, because there are resources to protect people and children,” says Garcia.

To learn more about the Background Actors Association of New Mexico, click here.

Gene Hackman’s sprawling Santa Fe estate, where he, his wife and a pet dog were found dead nearly a year ago, has been listed for $6.25 million.

The 95-year-old French Connection star and his wife of 34 years, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, had lived at the 13,000-square-foot, gated property for decades before their bodies were discovered there by a maintenance worker in February 2025.

In police video footage of the couple’s home, taken during an initial walk-through, it appeared to be in complete disarray, strewn with loose items and food. Authorities also found dead rats, rat feces and nests throughout the estate, making their home a potential breeding ground for hantavirus, the rare rodent-borne disease that killed Arakawa, 65. It was ruled that Hackman had survived a week on his own, potentially unaware of his wife’s death, before dying from heart disease complicated by Alzheimer’s.

The 6-bed, 10-bath compound has since been cleared of the couple’s personal effects and professionally staged, the listing agents, Tara S. Earley and Ricky Allen of Sotheby’s International Realty, told The Wall Street Journal.

Typically, a home associated with such a notable actor would come with a celebrity premium; however, Earley noted that “we just priced it based on what we felt was the fair market value.”

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“There will be some buyers that are just adverse to purchasing a property where a death has occurred,” she said.

“There are other buyers for whom that doesn’t matter. We are selling the property on its virtues and all of the positives.”

According to the listing, the 53-acre compound consists of multiple distinct structures, each made of glass, stone, and steel.

The custom three-bedroom main residence “showcases the signature style of Boniface, with flowing spaces that blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living, highlighting stunning, expansive views from the Jemez Mountains all the way to Colorado.” It boasts a large open concept kitchen, a grand living room and a large dining area, while the primary suite features a sitting area and an attached office, which offers separate closets and spa-like baths.

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Special features include a library, gym, game room, media room, wine cellar, a secluded putting green, lap pool and hot tub.

Separate from the main residence are a three-bedroom guest house and a studio space, added in 1997, Earley said.

Hackman and Arakawa originally purchased the property in the 1990s and significantly reconstructed it, building the primary residence in 1997.

To prevent people from viewing the property solely out of morbid curiosity, the agents have said that all interested buyers will need to show proof of funds before any showings.

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