After a shooting claimed the life of a 15-year-old boy in Rio Rancho, families are more concerned than ever for their safety.
The football game between Cleveland and Rio Rancho high schools on Friday night was already scheduled to have a greater police presence.
The stadium went on lockdown at the end of the game, as Rio Rancho Police confirmed it was because officers were looking into more possible threats. That was on the heels of two other big scares — and one tragic loss.
“I sort of, I blame it a lot on the parents,” said a Rio Rancho woman who asked not to be named.
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This woman takes her grandkids to the park instead of letting them play in the front yard. She said it doesn’t feel safe anymore.
After a string of threats and violence in Rio Rancho, she said change has to start at home.
“You know, the cops could (only) do so much,” she said. “You know, courts could do so much. But at the end of the day, it comes from the home within. What’s going on at home.”
Earlier this week, police found 15-year-old Adrian Maestas shot near the intersection of Inca and 2nd Street in southeast Rio Rancho.
His family said he was on life support but died days later.
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“You know the family, you know that they have to go through this 15 year old’s (death),” she said. “God, he still had a life to live.”
Our KOB 4 cameras captured this SWAT situation at a house near that scene Friday, but police have not confirmed if it’s connected. Officers haven’t made arrests, keeping the community on edge.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Rio Rancho resident Wes Edlang. “I can’t really believe that’s even going on around here, and I haven’t heard about it, but until you just told me, it’s really shocking to hear.”
The shooting happened a week after a Rio Rancho house party was broken up by gunfire. Police are still looking for whoever fired the shots that night.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Raul Torrez announced a proposal for stiffer penalties for making school shooting threats.
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“Unfortunately, in the state of New Mexico, we currently treat threats against our schools as misdemeanors, and I don’t think that is in alignment with where we are as a community,” he said.
He wants to make this crime a felony. And local leaders agreed.
“It causes chaos in the community,” said Rio Rancho Police Chief Stewart Steele. “It causes chaos within the schools, and, quite frankly, chaos for our educators.”
That type of chaos was on full display Friday night.
In a statement, a Rio Rancho school district spokesperson said a football player got Snapchat messages, including a picture of a gun and the Cleveland High School field. But there was no direct threat.
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Police held players until the parking lot was clear and released athletes 10 at a time.
Just one more potential instance of violence that this community has to process. Police are still asking for any information on all three of these incidents. If you know anything call Rio Rancho Police.
CHAPARRAL, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — A decision by the Otero County Commission to renew a federal detention services contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is invalid under New Mexico law, according to the New Mexico Department of Justice, stating that the commission violated the state’s Open Meetings Act.
The New Mexico Department of Justice said it determined the commission broke the Open Meetings Act when it convened an emergency meeting on March 13 to renew an ICE contract, continuing to operate an immigration processing center.
Commissioners said the processing center has operated under an intergovernmental service agreement with ICE since the facility opened, and that the agreement is tied to revenue pledged to secure bonds used to build the facility, adding that the existing agreement was set to expire Sunday, March 15, and that ICE sent a replacement agreement a day before the meeting.
Commissioners said the timing forced them to act under emergency authority because there was less than four days before the current agreement expires, and they could not provide a 72-hour notice for a special meeting.
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However, after a review by the NMDOJ’s Government Counsel and Accountability Bureau, the department concluded the commission improperly classified the meeting as an “emergency” and failed to meet legal requirements for bypassing standard public notice and transparency procedures.
The NMDOJ also found the expiration of the ICE contract was a known and predictable deadline, not an unforeseen event.
As a result, NMDOJ said the action taken during that meeting, including the vote to renew the contract, is invalid under New Mexico law.
“The Open Meetings Act is not optional,” Attorney General Raúl Torrez said. “It ensures that public business is conducted in the open, not rushed through under the guise of an emergency when no true emergency exists. New Mexicans have a right to transparency and accountability from their local governments, especially when decisions of this magnitude are being made.”
Otero County renews ICE detention contract despite New Mexico ban taking effect in May
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Under the Open Meetings Act, emergency meetings are permitted only in response to unforeseen circumstances that pose an immediate threat to public health, safety, property, or cause substantial financial harm.
According to the commissioners, last week’s emergency meeting and renewal were also tied to funding, stating that allowing the agreement to lapse would create significant financial consequences tied to the bonds.
“These revenue bonds were issued in 2007 to finance the construction of Otero County Processing Center,” commissioners said last week, adding the bonds “are still outstanding” and that “the total remaining debt service as of this afternoon is in excess of $19 million.”
Commissioners said the next principal-and-interest payment is due April 1 and warned that if the current agreement expired Sunday, the county would not be able to make that payment.
“If the current IGSA were to expire on Sunday, the payment for that payment would absolutely not be able to be made,” commissioners said.
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However, the NMDOJ also determined the county’s justification of potential financial impacts tied to bond obligations stemmed from internal planning failures, not a legitimate emergency, stating that the law does not allow public bodies to use emergency procedures to address foreseeable administrative or financial matters.
Meanwhile, this comes after the Immigrant Safety Act was approved by state lawmakers last month. The law prohibits state or local governments from entering into or renewing contracts to detain individuals for federal civil immigration violations.
This means new ICE detention centers cannot be approved, nor can existing contracts be renewed. The law, which was signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in early February, is set to take effect in May.
The NMDOJ has directed the Otero County Commission to respond with outlined steps to come into compliance with the law.
READ THE LETTER:
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RECOMMENDED: New Mexico bans new and renewed ICE detention contracts under Immigrant Safety Act
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Record heat and blazing sunshine in Albuquerque make it feel like summer is already here, despite the calendar marking spring’s start on Friday.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Record heat and blazing sunshine in Albuquerque make it feel like summer is already here, despite the calendar marking spring’s start on Friday.
Residents may wonder if it’s time to prepare their coolers for the warmer days ahead. The question remains whether the cold weather is truly over.
Climate data indicates that Albuquerque’s last freeze typically occurs in April, extending into May during extreme years. However, this year has been unusually warm.
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The Climate Prediction Center’s forecast suggests that the current weather pattern, which has brought hot days, will continue into April with above-average temperatures across the Western United States and New Mexico.
While a few more freezes or cold days can’t be ruled out, the general trend for April and most of spring points to more warm temperatures.
Republican voters may have one less candidate to choose from on their June primary ballot after one candidate failed to show up to file paperwork confirming his eligibility for the primary ballot.
State Senator Steve Lanier, a first-term legislator from San Juan County, and Duke Rodriguez, a former health department secretary and cannabis business owner, both failed to earn an automatic placement on the ballot provided to candidates who earn at least 20% of party delegate votes at the Pre-Primary Convention held earlier this month. Lanier pulled in just 7% and Rodriguez earned 9%.
State Sen. Steve Lanier appeared for initial candidate filing day on Feb. 3. He missed the secondary filing day on Mar. 17. (Source: Lanier campaign FB)
But both candidates appeared to have secured enough signatures from Republican voters to qualify outside of the party’s delegate process, provided they submitted those signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office on Tuesday.
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Lanier told The Santa Fe New Mexican that he missed the deadline and would now explore legal options to get on the ballot. “We are looking at legal options and may file a challenge, given that we filed with all the necessary signatures from the start,” he said. “I am committed to helping New Mexico thrive, and to building our Republican Party in every corner of the state.”
Rodriguez submitted the required additional signatures which are being reviewed by the secretary of state for qualification.
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Pat Davis is the founder and publisher of nm.news. In a prior life he served as an Albuquerque City Councilor.
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