Month: March 2016
Judge: Teen who killed family will remain in state custody until age 21
A Children’s Court judge says the teenager who killed five of his family members in 2013 will remain in state custody until he turns 21.
Nehemiah Griego, now 18, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death last October.
Griego was 15 when authorities said he shot and killed his parents and three younger siblings in their South Valley home in January 2013. Continue reading
Los Lunas man arrested for murder after allegedly cutting girlfriend’s throat
New Mexico State Police arrested a Los Lunas man Tuesday on a murder charge after he allegedly cut his girlfriend’s throat Monday.
State police were first called out to a home on JD Road in Tome Monday and found the woman dead.
Police arrested Michael Ray Rodriguez, 19, Tuesday on an open count of murder. Witnesses told state police Rodriguez was the last person seen with the victim before she was found dead.
State police said they found Rodriguez in his vehicle with what appeared to be blood stains on his clothes and shoes.
He has been booked into the Valencia County Detention Center on the murder charge. The victim’s name has not been released.
Gov. Martinez again vetoes money meant for Gallup Detox Center
For the third time in four years, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has vetoed money meant specifically to help keep the doors of the Gallup Detox Center – McKinley County’s only detox and shelter program – open and helping the area’s people with alcoholism and substance abuse issues.
Read KOB.com’s special report on the Gallup Detox Center and the cyclical money problem it faces.
Monday, Gov. Martinez announced she had signed the $6.2 billion budget passed by the state legislature. She line-item vetoed many portions of the budget, but one of those vetoes was $200,000 put specifically into the budget for the Gallup Detox Center, also known as the Na’Nizhoozhi Center, Inc. (NCI). Continue reading
Dianna Duran withdraws motion to reconsider probation terms
Former New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran and her attorney have withdrawn a motion that asked a judge to reconsider her terms of probation.
Duran and her attorney, Erlinda Johnson, filed the motion in First Judicial District Court Tuesday afternoon, the Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office confirmed to KOB.
Duran was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation for misusing campaign funds to pay off casino debts. As part of her conditions of probation, Duran is required to make four public appearances per month for the next three years to speak about her career and mistakes to civic groups and schools.
But Johnson filed a motion in February that likened those appearances to “public shaming,” rather than rehabilitation.
“Seemingly, these required weekly public appearances are tantamount to public shaming, similar to the defendant required to display a bumper sticker advertising ‘convicted felon’ or “convicted DWI,'” that motion read.
The motion also states these public speaking appearances could endanger Duran’s life, citing online comments on news stories about Duran.
Duran’s attorney requested the judge reduce the public speaking requirement to one per month.
In the original motion, her attorney also requested a reduction in Duran’s community service hours from 2,000 to 1,000 due to her role as a caregiver for her three grandsons.
Duran also wanted the judge to allow her to travel throughout the state without having to obtain authorization from the probation office.
Attorney General Hector Balderas said days after the motion was filed that he and his office objected to the request to reconsider.
“The Office of the Attorney General noted our opposition to Ms. Duran’s motion, as filed with the court, and we are pleased with this outcome,” said AG’s Office spokesman James Hallinan.
This story was originally published at KOB.com