New Mexico
Public defender discusses potential way to curb teen violence
One attorney with the New Mexico Public Defender’s Office suggests that solution is looking in the wrong direction, and believes more punishment only brings more crime.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is bringing state lawmakers back to the Roundhouse this July to hammer out some new public safety legislation. But it does not appear addressing teen violence is on the agenda.
It seems she is focused on some other public safety issues, specifically in the courts. She has acknowledged teen violence is a serious issue, but we’ve yet to see any serious solutions on the table.
When KOB 4 sat down with her earlier this year, she suggested a pilot program requiring teens to participate in some type of meaningful activity outside of schools. But it doesn’t appear that idea has gone anywhere.
Some law enforcement leaders — including the Bernalillo County district attorney — believe it’s time to rework the state’s juvenile justice laws, and demand more accountability from these teen suspects.
But one attorney with the New Mexico Public Defender’s Office suggests that solution is looking in the wrong direction, and believes more punishment only brings more crime.
“Increasing penalties for kids is going to do nothing except for create a career criminal,” said Dennica Torres with the New Mexico Public Defender’s Office.
Torres says it’s important to remember teenage suspects are not adults.
“They don’t have the adult brain, and we really have to treat them like children. They’re very impulsive, they’re very immature, they’re very reactive,” said Torres.
A potentially lethal combination when guns are involved. Torres admits more teens are getting their hands on guns.
“It’s no longer just words or fists, it’s guns,” Torres said. “Unless we get rid of the internet and social media, we’re never gonna get rid of their access to almost anything they could ever want.”
However, she says increasing punishments for teen gun crimes ignores the reason why many teens have guns in the first place.
“A lot of kids are carrying guns because they think other kids are carrying guns. So they carry guns, because they’re afraid. They’re afraid they’re going to encounter somebody that, you know, doesn’t like them, or a bully at school,” said Torres.
It’s a vicious cycle, and Torres says locking those teens up doesn’t solve much.
“The maximum usually is about 30 years. So you incarcerate a child who’s 16, at 46, they’re going to come out, and they’re not going to have any idea how to function in society. They’re just going to turn right back to crime,” Torres said.
Torres believes educational programs – like the violence intervention program — are the best way to tackle teen violence. She says they have to be crafted for the teenage brain.
“It really needs to come from the view of ‘This is what could happen to you, if you decide to carry a gun and use it,’” said Torres. “Because a lot of times they’re going to not necessarily resonate with the victim, but they’re going to resonate with the fact that you’re talking to them about how it can affect their future and their family.”
Torres noted Bernalillo County’s Juvenile Detention Center is full and understaffed. She believes increasing punishments for teen criminals is just throwing gasoline on that fire.
Torres suggests state lawmakers should commit the money and resources to develop a statewide violence education program, and bring it to high schools and middle schools.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Police arrested two young men on murder charges after a deadly shooting outside the Frontier Restaurant near the University of New Mexico.
Police said 19-year-old Junior Lewis and 20-year-old Evan Rogers are in custody and both face murder charges.
Police said both men are set to face a judge Saturday.
Investigators said they found both suspects inside Rogers’ dorm room at UNM.
The shooting happened in the early morning hours Thursday just south of Central between Cornell and Stanford.
Police said the man who was shot died at the scene.
Leapfrog released its 2026 spring hospital safety grades.
Grades are assigned based on overall performance, including patient safety.
The Leapfrog Group’s goal is to publicly report patient safety and quality information for the benefit of consumers, purchasers, and referring physicians as they make decisions about where to seek care and where to direct patients,” the company stated on its website.
Here’s how your local hospitals performed.
MountainView Regional Medical Center – A
Leapfrog gave MountainView an “A.”
“Being the only hospital in Doña Ana County to earn an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group speaks to the high standards our team sets – and meets – every day,” said MountainView CEO Patrick Shannon. “This achievement reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses, and employees to deliver the safest care possible for our community.”
“An ‘A’ Grade is a strong sign that MountainView is deeply committed to protecting patients from harm,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We commend the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers for the role each played in earning this distinction.”
The hospital performed better than average in several areas including low infection rates, addressing safety problems, and ICU care. The hospital received below average performances ratings in surgical site infections post colon surgery, communication about medicine and discharge, communication with doctors and nurses and nursing and bedside care for patients.
Memorial Medical Center – B
Memorial Medical Center received a “B” grade from Leapfrog.
The hospital performed well in effective leadership, reduction and prevention of infections and addressing safety problems.
The hospital received below average ratings for kidney injury after surgery, serious breathing problems, harmful events, communication about medicine and discharge, and communication with doctors and nurses.
Not rated by Leapfrog were Three Crosses Regional Hospital.
Nearby top rated hospitals
Leapfrog gave an A to William Beaumont Army Medical Center and Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso. Las Palmas Medical Center in El Paso received a B.
How did other New Mexico hospitals perform?
A recipients were:
- CHRISTUS Southern New Mexico in Alamogordo
B recipients were:
- Lovelace Women’s Hospital in Albuquerque
C recipients were:
- Carlsbad Medical Center in Carlsbad
- CHRISTUS St. Vincent in Santa FE
- Eastern New Mexico Medical Center in Roswell
- Lovelace Medical Center-Downtown in Albuquerque
- Lovelace Regional Hospital in Roswell
- Lovelace Westside Hospital in Albuquerque
- University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque
D recipients were:
- San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington
- UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho
Explore the full survey results at https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/.
Jessica Onsurez is editor of the Las Cruces Sun-News. Reach her by email at jonsurez@usatodayco.com.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) — The Social Security Office released the most popular baby names for 2025 on Thursday. And here in New Mexico, we saw some familiar names top the charts once again.
Coming in at No. 1 for girls is Mia, and as for the boys, Noah ranks No. 1. That’s no change from 2024 when Mia and Noah also led the pack, both coming in at No 1. For 2025, there were a total of 66 babies named Mia and 115 babies named Noah, while in 2024, there were 81 Mias and 105 Noahs.
What do the names mean? Online sources list a few different interpretations for Mia, but one common association is with the Italian word “mia,” which means “mine.” As for Noah, the name is most commonly associated with the prominent bible figure. It’s thought to mean “rest,” or “comfort.”
Here’s a look at some of the other top baby names in New Mexico for 2025.
- Girls:
- Olivia (65 total)
- Sophia (65 total)
- Sofia (60 total)
- Camila (59 total)
- Eliana (57 total)
- Isabella (56 total)
- Amelia (53 total)
- Aria (45 total)
- Aurora (45 total)
- Boys:
- Liam (109 total)
- Mateo (99 total)
- Elijah (76 total)
- Santiago (70 total)
- Sebastian (69 total)
- Ezra (67 total)
- Elias (66 total)
- Ezekiel (66 total)
- Levi (69 total)
Nationally, Olivia and Liam are the most popular baby names, and have been for the past seven years, according to the Social Security Administration. As for the fastest-rising names, Klarity jumped nearly 1,400 spots on the girls’ list, and Kasai jumped 1,108 for boy names.
Other names rising in popularity for boys include Atlas, Adriel, Emiliano, Arthur, and Archer. On the girls’ list, Ailany, Sienna, Amara, and Georgia are becoming more popular.
You can find the full list by state online.
-
Delaware2 minutes agoHistoric School House Opens at Bellevue State Park – State of Delaware News
-
Florida8 minutes agoJudge to rule on Florida congressional map dispute
-
Georgia14 minutes agoKemp extends Georgia’s gasoline tax suspension by 2 weeks
-
Hawaii20 minutes agoMan accused of stabbing teen in Kalihi charged, held on $100K bail
-
Idaho26 minutes ago“Mamas know best”: Idaho Fish and Game Warns against interfering with spring baby animals – LocalNews8.com
-
Illinois32 minutes agoIllinois, Brad Underwood agree to new contract terms
-
Indiana38 minutes agoIndiana gambling case, Bears schedule and McDonald’s Park | Week in Review
-
Iowa44 minutes agoTwo separate traffic stops leads to four arrests in Iowa County