New Mexico
Recent violence involving teens leaves Rio Rancho on edge
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.
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.
“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.
“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.
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.
The Bureau of Land Management will begin selling Christmas tree permits in New Mexico on Nov. 24.
Permits will be available at the Farmington, Taos, Socorro and Rio Puerco field offices, as well as at the New Mexico State Office, according to a community announcement. The permits must be purchased before Dec. 24 and cost $5 per tree.
Permits and maps can be obtained over the counter at local BLM offices or, for some locations, online at https://forestproducts.blm.gov. If purchasing online, buyers must have access to a printer to print the permit and map.
When transporting a tree taken from BLM public land, the haul tag provided with the permit must be attached to the tree.
The BLM has developed georeferenced maps compatible with any georeferenced map mobile application. Those with a smartphone can download a map before heading out to harvest a tree by visiting the BLM website.
Before visiting a local BLM office to obtain a permit, it is recommended to call the office to confirm services and staff availability. The locations where permits may be available include:
- Rio Puerco Field Office, 100 Sun Ave., NE, Suite 330, Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761-8700
- Socorro Field Office, 901 S. Old U.S. Hwy 85, Socorro, NM 87801, (575) 835-0412
- New Mexico State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508, (505) 954-2000
- Farmington Field Office, 6251 College Blvd, Farmington, NM 87402, (505) 564-7600
- Taos Field Office, 1024 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM 87571-5983, (575) 758-8851
For more information about Christmas tree permits, contact the local BLM office or the BLM New Mexico State Office at 505-954-2222.
This story was created by reporter Andy Dossett, ADossett@usatodayco.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
New Mexico football coach Jason Eck has agreed to a five-year contract extension that will keep him with the Lobos until 2030, the school announced Sunday.
In his first regular season as head coach, Eck took the Lobos to a 9-3 record — the program’s best mark since 1982 and only the fourth time they have won nine games since 1997.
Eck’s new deal includes an increase in average salary to $1.75 million from $1.25 million, sources told ESPN. A former Wisconsin offensive lineman, Eck spent three seasons as head coach at Idaho where he went 26-13 before being hired by the Lobos last December.
New Mexico’s nine-win season and 6-2 record in the Mountain West earned them a tie for first place in the conference. But the conference’s tiebreaker (based on a composite average of nationally recognized metrics: Connelly SP+, ESPN SOR, KPI and SportSource rankings) determined that Boise State and UNLV would face each other in the title game.
If Eck can lead the Lobos to a bowl win, however, it will be the first 10-win season the program has had in 43 years.
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