Police records from the investigation into a 2-year-old girl’s death at an Edgewood AutoZone parking lot in August reveal new details about the incident, including that no charges have been filed despite safety violations and the father’s admission that he left the scene. The child died after falling from a moving vehicle and being run […]
Courts, Justice & Safety
Posted inMoriarty
One dead after single-engine plane crashes in Torrance County
By Lauren Lifke A single-engine aircraft crashed in a field near McNabb and New Mexico Highway 41, just south of Moriarty on Tuesday morning, killing one person and injuring another, according to the Moriarty Fire Department. The crash occurred at about 11:30 a.m., Moriarty airport manager Bob Hudson told The Indy by phone. Initial responders […]
Posted inNew Mexico
Homeowners caught in the crossfire of construction dispute
The New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) recently took action against a local construction company that allegedly filed invalid liens against the unsuspecting owners of nearly 200 properties in Albuquerque. Boreworxx Construction is based in Aztec and specializes in underground utility work, excavation and grading. According to state records, the company’s owner, Jeffery Dailey, allegedly […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
New Mexico woman’s gun show protest triggers constitutional case after arrest
A 70-year-old woman filed a civil rights lawsuit Monday against the City of Moriarty and Torrance County after being arrested and detained for three days while peacefully protesting outside a gun show in February. Jill Gatwood, an Albuquerque resident represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, alleges in the lawsuit that she […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Santa Fe County
Santa Fe court launches mental health diversion program for arrestees
The First Judicial District Court has announced a new program designed to divert people with severe mental illness away from the criminal justice system and into treatment services. The competency diversion pilot program will serve individuals charged with misdemeanors, excluding DWI and nonviolent felony offenses. It marks the fourth such initiative established by New Mexico […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Sandoval County
Former Sandoval County detective sentenced to 6 years for child exploitation crimes
A former Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office detective was sentenced Friday to six years in prison after pleading no contest to charges related to child sexual exploitation material. Robert Strand, 42, was sentenced by Judge Christopher G. Perez in the 13th Judicial District Court on charges of possession of child sexual exploitation material and three counts […]
Posted inNew Mexico
New Mexico nonprofit leaders accused of $1.6 million Medicaid fraud
The director of a Silver City after-school nonprofit program and her daughter are under fire from the state for allegedly committing 91 counts of fraud and identity theft. According to state investigators, the crimes targeted both adults and children. The New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) is bringing criminal charges against “Kids in Need of […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Albuquerque man pleads guilty to federal charge for online threats against Trump
A New Mexico man who was charged with making threats of violence against then-President-Elect Donald Trump on social media pleaded guilty Thursday. The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico announced in a press release that Tyler Leveque, 37, of Albuquerque, changed his initial not guilty plea to one count of […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
Albuquerque asbestos firm faces hefty fines for health hazards
An Albuquerque asbestos removal company is facing more than $25,000 in penalties from the state for serious workplace safety violations. According to state records, inspectors recently discovered that the company, Asbestos Experts, failed to properly monitor workers’ exposure to asbestos and enforce safe work practices. Regulators allege that the company didn’t keep accurate records of […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
Wrongful-death lawsuits: NM prison covered up deaths, allowed drugs to cu
Two new wrongful-death lawsuits accuse a New Mexico prison of systemic problems, including covering up evidence surrounding prisoner deaths, allowing drugs to circulate in the prison and even denying urgent medical care. The prison is owned and operated by Tennessee corporation CoreCivic, one of the largest private prison corporations in the U.S. with dozens of […]