Author: KVIA

Lauren Bly

UPDATE (3:55 p.m.): The jury found Gabriel Ramirez guilty of capital murder. He will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The verdict was reached at 3:41 p.m.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Closing arguments wrapped up in the capital murder trial of Gabriel Ramirez. He’s accused of murdering his aunt and girlfriend in different locations on Christmas in 2022.

The defense said his girlfriend, 24-year-old Kathia Rosales, murdered his aunt and coerced Ramirez to stab her.

El Paso police said they found his aunt, 79-year-old Irma Ramirez, with stab wounds all over her body at a home on Truman Avenue in Central El Paso.

During the investigation, detectives discovered he allegedly stole his aunt’s SUV from the murder scene and drove to West El Paso.

In his aunt’s SUV, detectives found Rosales’ body.

Ramirez was released from the hospital Dec. 31, 2022, and arrested. He was charged with capital murder on a $1.5 million bond.

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Texas State Representative Gina Hinojosa said she will visit El Paso Aug. 31 ahead of the November election. She’s running for Texas Governor against the incumbent Republican Greg Abbott.

At 10 a.m., Rep. Hinojosa will hold a press conference on data centers, her campaign team said. It did not share the location with the public.

At noon, the Democratic candidate will have a meet-and-greet at the University of Texas at El Paso.

The UTEP College Democrats Chapter said the meet-and-greet is only open to UTEP students.

Former U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke will join Hinojosa at the event. They will speak about issues college students in Texas face, including affordability and jobs.

The UTEP College Democrats said on social media the event will take place at the Union Building East Thomas Rivera Conference Center.

Lastly, Rep. Hinojosa will have a town hall at 6 p.m. Her campaign team did not share the location with the public.

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

(KVIA) — Federal immigration officers released a San Diego Padres’ staffer after Border Patrol arrested him at the El Paso International Airport last week.

The Department of Homeland Security alleged 34-year-old Oswaldo Jose Pirela Dominguez, the team’s minor league catching coordinator, was staying in the U.S. illegally.

“He entered the country legally but violated the terms of his admission. When approached by law enforcement officers, he was not in possession of legal documentation granting him status in the country,” DHS said in a statement.

According to Dominguez’ brother’s Instagram post, the minor league coach was traveling on a work assignment with the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate.

DHS said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released Pirela Monday on bond pending his removal proceedings.

The agency said work authorization or a pending application doesn’t confer legal status in the U.S.

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (KVIA) — Parents and guardians can get a car seat inspection and installation help Saturday at the Sunland Park Sports Complex.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation said inspections are free and don’t require an appointment. They will be first-come, first-served at 4700 McNutt Rd.

The fitting station will open at 9 a.m. and close at 11 a.m.

Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will help guardians make sure child car seats are properly selected and installed. They will also check if a car seat has been recalled, expired or damaged.

At the inspection, guardians may replace a car seat for $35 in cash, NMDOT said. Change won’t be available.

Click here to follow the original article.

Carpio Griego

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Dolly Parton has made an impact with her music and philanthropy. For one El Paso radio station, an interview with the superstar served as a reminder of Parton’s good character.

Parton’s family announced her death Tuesday. She was 80 years old. KLAQ Director of Content Kevin Vargas said he interviewed the country music icon in 2023, leading up to the release of her album Rockstar.

Vargas has covered the Woodstock ’94 music festival and the Olympics, but he said his interview with Parton became one of the most enjoyable in his career.

He said her legacy will live beyond her music. She said her humanitarian work and film experience culminated an impact that “transcends format.”

“A true queen of country music, a true superstar in every sense of the word,” Vargas said. “She was a humanitarian. She took care of people, her library — everything. She did so many things that didn’t even get to the headlines that were just about helping other people and being a decent human being.”

Vargas said KLAQ was one of nine rock stations Parton’s label deemed credible enough to interview with.

He said her greatest legacy would be that she was a great person.

“Sincerity. Honesty. Integrity. Those three words really sum up Dolly real well,” Vargas said. “She will never be forgotten, and she’s going to inspire a whole new generation.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (KVIA) — A fire burned around 80 junk vehicles in Juarez, according to the city.

In a news release, the city of Juarez said a fire burned at a junkyard off Casas Grandes highway at the intersection with De las Alturas. The junkyard is also known as “El Forcito.”

It happened between Aug. 23-24. The city said during that time frame, the Juarez fire department responded to 35 emergency calls, including the fire at El Forcito.

Firefighters used water tankers and five fire engines to put out the fire, according to the city. Recyclers in the area also provided three water tankers to help.

Civil Protection said no injuries were reported. The agency’s report indicated the fire is still under investigation.

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — College-bound high schoolers in El Paso had an opportunity to look into which school could be the best fit for them. Thursday, the Ysleta Independent School District hosted a college fair for students in and out of the district.

According to a news release, a morning session for the fair is reserved for YISD high school juniors and seniors. That will take place from 9 a.m. to noon.

An evening session from 6-7:30 p.m. will be open to all El Paso students and families, the district said. It will take place at the YISD Central Office Atrium (9600 Sims Dr.).

At the fair, families can participate in workshops to learn about financial aid resources and scholarships. Representatives from universities and colleges across the country will also be there, the district said.

“We’re able to look at all the schools, not just inside of Texas. So I feel like it’s allowing us to go outside of our comfort zones and be able to see what is beyond Texas,” Kaitlyn Rivera said. She’s a senior at the Young Women’s Leadership Academy.

The district shared a list of some of the colleges that attended the fair.

Borderland-area Universities

University of Texas at El Paso

New Mexico State University

Texas Universities

UT Austin

Texas A&M University

Texas Tech University

Rice University

Out-of-State Universities

Arizona State University

University of Arizona

Northern Arizona University

University of San Diego

Boston University

Tufts University

University of Denver

University of Iowa

University of Michigan

University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Vanderbilt University

Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico)

Military Academies

U.S. Military Academy

U.S. Naval Academy

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

HORIZON CITY, Texas (KVIA) — A 20-year-old man has been charged with sexual assault, according to the Horizon City Police Department.

According to an arrest affidavit ABC-7 obtained, Jonathan Ontiveros allegedly sexually assaulted a woman on Aug. 17.

Documents said Ontiveros met the woman while she was working on Aug. 6. The two exchanged phone numbers and started talking.

On Aug. 9, the two went on a date, documents said. The woman told investigators she thought the date went well, and continued talking to Ontiveros.

Investigators wrote that on Aug. 17, Ontiveros picked up the woman and took her to his house to have dinner with his family.

After dinner, the two went to Ontiveros’ bedroom to watch a movie, according to documents.

Ontiveros allegedly kept touching and grabbing the woman after she told him she didn’t want to have sexual intercourse. Documents said she kept pushing Ontiveros’ hands away. She told investigators she had to continuously tell Ontiveros to stop.

Documents said Ontiveros acknowledged she didn’t want to have sexual intercourse.

Ontiveros allegedly pinned her shoulder and forced her arm down to try to touch her. Documents alleged Ontiveros moved her to keep her legs open.

The woman told Ontiveros she didn’t want to have sexual intercourse and was uncomfortable with his family being in the house. She also said she didn’t want to have intercourse since they didn’t have contraceptives, according to documents.

Documents said Ontiveros acknowledged she didn’t want to have sexual intercourse again.

Ontiveros then allegedly touched the woman and took her shorts off. Documents said he sexually assaulted her.

The woman told investigators she got an Uber and left Ontiveros’ house.

On Aug. 19, she went to a medical center for a sexual assault forensic exam.

The next day, the woman helped police identify Ontiveros. She also told investigators that Ontiveros allegedly forced her to touch his genitals, documents said.

The Horizon Police Department said it arrested Ontiveros on a sexual assault warrant.

According to jail records, police booked Ontiveros into the Downtown El Paso jail Aug. 20 on a $50,000 bond. Police said his bond was set with additional court-ordered conditions.

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A 35-year-old woman allegedly stabbed her mother’s caretaker in Northeast El Paso Tuesday, according to an arrest affidavit.

Police arrested and charged Shaloni Mariah Wallace with murder, the El Paso Police Department said. It identified the stabbing victim as 36-year-old April Marie Flores.

(Courtesy: EPPD)

According to EPPD Officer Adrian Cisneros, it happened around 11 a.m. at 4980 Sean Haggerty Dr. That’s at the Patriot Palms apartments near the U.S. 54.

Upon arrival, police officers found Flores on the sidewalk between two apartment buildings. Documents said she had multiple stab wounds on her torso.

Multiple witnesses helped Flores, according to documents. Flores also alleged that Wallace stabbed her.

Flores later died at a hospital, police said.

A maintenance worker told officers he saw Wallace walking toward and apartment holding a large knife with blood on it, documents said. Investigators said officers followed a trail of blood that led them to the apartment the maintenance worker mentioned.

Investigators said Wallace opened the door and shut it after she saw police. Officers made forced entry into the apartment and took her into custody.

Officers noticed the front door of a different apartment unit was open and saw what appeared to be blood on the entryway, documetns said. Inside, officers met Wallace’s mother.

Wallace’s mother said Flores was her caretaker, documents said.

According to Wallace’s mother, Flores has been her caretaker for about two weeks, documents said. Wallace used to be her mother’s caretaker, but “had to let her go because she was not doing a good job.”

Flores went to her apartment at 9:20 a.m. Tuesday. Wallace went to the apartment at about 10:45 a.m.

Wallace lives in the same apartment complex, but in a different unit with her 11-year-old daughter, documents said.

Her mother said Wallace and Flores didn’t know each other and “everything seemed fine initially,” according to documents.

Wallace allegedly started hitting Flores for an “unknown reason.” Wallace’s mother said she didn’t see if Wallace had a knife during the attack and saw blood by the front door, documents said.

The maintenance worker said he heard someone yelling for help. Documents said he saw Flores walking with her head down and grabbing onto her chest with blood all over her.

Documents said the maintenance worker ran to the property office and told his supervisor to call 911, documents said. He walked back to Flores, who was on the ground. Investigators said that’s when the maintenance worker saw Wallace allegedly walk by with a knife.

Investigators received video footage from an apartment nearby. Documents said the video showed Wallace allegedly holding a knife and wearing the same clothes the maintenance worker told investigators about.

In an interview, Wallace allegedly couldn’t state why she went to her mother’s apartment, documents said. When authorities asked her if anyone besides her mother was in the apartment, Wallace allegedly said “no,” but then later said “possibly.”

Police temporarily closed the apartment complex area for investigation.

Patriot Palms residents told ABC-7 they felt left in the dark when police closed off the area.

The situation upended residents like David and Heather Brown, who moved from New Jersey to be near their grandchildren.

“It’s just unfortunate that something like that had to happen. That’s my issue. There’s a lot of kids around here,” David said.

Officer Cisneros said anyone with information about the stabbing should call police or the Crime Stoppers at (915)566-TIPS(8477) or through its tip form.

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — A 24-year-old woman faces multiple felony charges after allegedly assaulting two juveniles in Las Cruces. One of the teens had to be airlifted to El Paso for treatment, according to documents ABC-7 obtained.

According to jail records, Anissa Danae Vigil faces the following charges:

Kidnapping (felony)

Two counts of imprisonment (felony)

Aggravated assault against a household member with a deadly weapon (felony)

Two counts of battery against a household member

Criminal damage to property of a household member

Two counts of abuse of a child resulting in great bodily harm (felony)

Two counts of abuse of a child (felony)

Two counts of stalking

Two counts of telephone use to threaten, harass or offend

Officers learned that Vigil and her ex-girlfriend had just broken up the night before, documents said. Vigil alleged her ex cheated on her with a 17-year-old girl.

Vigil’s ex told investigators that Vigil allegedly went through her phone while she slept and “became jealous of her communication” with the teenager and assumed she was cheating.

The next morning, Vigil’s ex asked for a ride home. Documents said when they were near her home, Vigil allegedly told her ex to get out of the car. Her ex stepped out and refused to go back in. Documents said Vigil tried to run her ex over, which another person witnessed.

Vigil’s ex jumped her neighbor’s walls and ran through the desert to get away from her, documents said. Vigil found her a few streets over, allegedly got out of her car, and threw her ex into the car.

Vigil also allegedly prevented her ex from leaving the vehicle by accelerating when she tried to open the car door and grabbing the back of her shirt. Vigil allegedly said she “just wanted to talk.”

Her ex went inside her home and locked the front door behind her. Documents said Vigil stepped into her home and initially refused to leave when told.

Vigil allegedly got on top of her ex in her bedroom, twisted her hands and said she was going to break them. Documents said Vigil’s ex’s younger brother witnessed this.

Vigil’s ex told her to step outside and told her brother to lock the home’s doors. Vigil allegedly started to damage a security door by pulling the screen off. Documents said she tried to unlock the door.

Vigil’s ex thought she left and said a friend later came over. Documents alleged Vigil suddenly appeared behind the friend and followed them all around town, even into the desert. Investigators said they received video of the incident. Vigil eventually lost track of them.

Later, Vigil’s ex returned home and slept. Documents said while she slept, Vigil called and texted her constantly.

Vigil told investigators she texted her to ask her to remove her name from the lease they had just signed. Documents said Vigil’s ex didn’t answer her texts or calls.

She allegedly showed up to her ex’s home again and demanded to speak with her. Documents said her ex asked Vigil for a ride to a family party. When they arrived, Vigil allegedly refused to let her out of the car and grabbed her shirt.

Vigil eventually let her ex out of the car and into the party. She allegedly texted her to “come back or she would cause a scene.” She started to honk the car horn until her ex came back, documents said.

Her ex asked Vigil to leave and left the party with her mother. Her ex asked her mother to drop her off at the 17-year-old’s home because she didn’t want Vigil to “go to their home and cause problems,” documents said.

Vigil allegedly texted her ex, stating she knew her location and that she knew she was with the teenager.

Vigil said she found her ex’s location through a friend and drove there to talk about the lease. She told investigators she saw her ex walk out with two teenagers.

While Vigil’s ex visited, the 17-year-old girl said she heard Vigil call and say she was going to “pull up” to their location.

The teenager told investigators that Vigil allegedly got on top of her and punched her all over her body. The teen said that while Vigil allegedly hit the other teen at the home, she went inside and grabbed a baseball bat.

The teenager said she hit Vigil with the bat to separate Vigil from the other teen. Documents alleged Vigil started fighting over the bat and took hold of it.

Vigil allegedly started hitting the 17-year-old with a bat.

The 17-year-old’s mom walked up to the fight, and everyone separated, documents said. She told Vigil to leave and that she was calling law enforcement.

When Vigil drove away, the 17-year-old girl allegedly hit Vigil’s car with a bat again.

Vigil’s ex told investigators that the teenager’s mom hid the baseball bat in the garage and told everyone not to tell police about it. Documents said police later found the bat.

According to documents, the fight left the teenager with a concussion. A doctor told investigators she threw up blood at some point. She was airlifted to an El Paso hospital to receive treatment for her injuries.

Investigators noted that the other teenager had several injuries, including a broken wrist.

After the fight, Vigil allegedly called her mom and said she “messed up” and had to go to the hospital after she “got jumped.”

Vigil met her mother at the Mountain View hospital. She was later discharged with minor injuries.

During questioning, investigators noticed Vigil had dried blood on her face, head and arms, documents said. Part of her head and face were also swollen.

Jail records said police booked Vigil into the Dona Ana County Detention Center on Sunday without bond.

Charges for the others are pending, according to documents.

Click here to follow the original article.