Author: KVIA

Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — Starting May 24, jazz music will play across Las Cruces every Sunday through August with the 2026 Mayor’s Jazz Fest.

The City of Las Cruces Parks & Recreation Department announced the lineup for this year’s Jazz Fest, which runs through Aug. 30.

The free music series will feature the Leo Tizer Band, which released a new album, “Amplify.” The city said the band’s album was recorded in Hollywood.

Special guest performers include Elliott Yamin, who competed in American Idol in 2006; Grammy winner Munyungo Jackson; and Anthony Crawford, who Rolling Stone named the 2022 Bassist of the Year, the city said.

The city said the first night of Jazz Fest starts May 24 at the Plaza de Las Cruces (100 N. Main St.) at 7 p.m. It did not announce other locations and times for the rest of the music series.

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Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — Doña Ana Community College will hold two free food pantries May 28, the school said Thursday.

The first drive-thru will start at 9:30 a.m. outside the DACC Espina Campus library (3400 S. Espina St.).

The second will start at 1:30 p.m. at the East Mesa Campus (2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd.) in the parking lot across from the auditorium.

DACC said availability is on a first-come, first-served basis with cars taking priority. The school said the public is welcome to the food pantries.

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Gabrielle Lopez

UPDATE (4:44 p.m.): All lanes reopened, according to the City of Sunland Park.

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (KVIA) — A Sunland Park spokesperson said a crash closed Country Club Road between Crawford Road and Westside Drive. A man in his mid-20s has critical injuries, Sunland Park Fire said on X.

According to SPF’s fire chief, the man was flown out to UMC for treatment. El Paso’s fired department helped with the transport.

The road closure notice sent at 3:38 p.m. Thursday.

The spokesperson said drivers can use Westside Drive as an alternate route. SPF said the road closure will last one hour while it investigates the crash.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A 54-year-old man from Juárez was sentenced in El Paso to 42 months in prison for human smuggling. Thursday, the Justice Department said he used tunnels crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and storm drains. He had legal permanent resident status.

The DOJ said Ricardo Guadalupe Dominguez, along with other members of a human smuggling organization, used underground paths and connecting storm drains to bring people into the U.S. from Mexico. Dominguez facilitated the smuggling by providing cars and tools to tamper storm drains, the department said.

According to the DOJ, Dominguez was identified as being involved with the construction of a cross-border tunnel discovered in January of 2025.

Law enforcement arrested him while trying to cross the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry, the DOJ said. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to bring in migrants in December 2025.

The DOJ said another man and co-defendant, Oscar Ivan Carrillo, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for conspiracy to use a border tunnel. The department said Carrillo and others would guide migrants through the tunnels into the U.S. At the exit, a box truck with a trap door would drive over a manhole cover for them to climb into.

Courtesy: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas

The Justice Department said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.

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Joseph Montero

SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico (KVIA) –Sunland Park Fire Chief Danny Medrano has confirmed to ABC-7 that two people have fallen from Mount Cristo Rey.

Medrano says the call came in at about 3:36 early Thursday morning.

The two people who fell was a woman in her early 20s and a man possibly in his 40s, according to Medrano.

Medrano added that their injuries appear serious but are not life threatening.

This is a developing story and ABC-7 will continue to bring updates as they come in.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Wednesday, a former Fort Bliss soldier was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a deadly crash that killed a couple in Far East El Paso nearly two years ago.

On April 29, Juan Francisco Del Valle pleaded guilty to two counts of intoxication manslaughter.

In Wednesday’s sentencing, Judge Selena Solis sentenced Del Valle to serve 20 years concurrently for each count of intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle, which is the maximum punishment.

Fort Bliss said Del Valle was assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.

28-year-old Dalia Olivas and 29-year-old Rick Ballard died in the crash, which happened on the corner of Rojas Drive and Eastlake Boulevard in November 2024.

According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Ballard died at the crash scene. Olivas died to her injuries at a hospital.

The couple was engaged at the time. Olivas used to teach English at Triumph High School in West El Paso.

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Gabrielle Lopez

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Department of Health said a hantavirus strain found in the state is different from the strain that started spreading on a cruise ship. On Wednesday, NMDOH said the strain in New Mexico cannot spread between people.

The cruise ship strain comes from the Andes hantavirus in Argentina and Chile, NMDOH said. It added, no New Mexico residents boarded the ship and there’s low risk to the public.

The strain found in New Mexico, Sin Nombre hantavirus, spreads through infected rodents. NMDOH this happens when droppings or nests are disturbed and the virus particles become airborne. Again, Sin Nombre doesn’t spread from person to person.

NMDOH said there are many strains of hantavirus and about half are known to infect humans. The Andes hantavirus, recognized since the mid-1990s, does not spread easily and requires close contact.

Health officials said you can reduce your risk of contracting Sin Nombre hantavirus with these actions:

Air out closed-up buildings like sheds, cabins and abandoned cars before going in.

Soak rodent nests and droppings with a disinfectant solution before wiping with paper towels. Use gloves, a mask and solutions like 10% bleach.

Do not vacuum or sweep rodent droppings because virus particles can spread into the air and be inhaled.

Trap mice and seal your home to prevent them from going in.

Keep hay, wood, compost piles and trash as far as you can from your home.

You can find more information on hantavirus here.

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Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — Firefighters put out a propane leak in Las Cruces Tuesday, the city’s fire department said.

LCFD firefighters found a leaking 20-pound propane cylinder in a gas station storage locker near 4600 Sonoma Ranch Blvd., which is near Sonoma Elementary School.

Firefighters moved the cylinder to an emptier part of the parking lot while waiting for a hazmat team, LCFD said. The hazmat team did a controlled burn until the cylinder emptied.

No injuries were reported and crews finished within an hour.

LCFD said to report suspected gas leaks and hazardous materials immediately to 911.

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Amelia Roberts

UPDATE (May 13, 2026) — El Paso police said 60-year-old Armando Gonzalez died in Monday’s crash.

According to police, a truck drove on Alameda Avenue when Gonzalez crossed into its path, causing the crash and throwing Gonzalez to the ground.

A second truck couldn’t avoid Gonzalez, police said. He died at the scene.

This is the 20th traffic death of the year, EPPD said, compared to 22 at this time last year.

The El Paso Police Department is responding to a crash tonight in South-Central El Paso.

According to police, it happened at the intersection of Clark and Alameda.

The call came in reporting the accident around 8:15 p.m.

Police say the crash involved one vehicle and a pedestrian.

Police also say that based on preliminary information, they believe that the crash is deadly.

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Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — A Doña Ana County jury indicted a woman for allegedly working as a nurse without a license. The New Mexico Justice Department said Margarita Gonzalez’ alleged actions include administering narcotics to minors and nearly causing patient death.

Gonzalez allegedly impersonated nurses in Texas to get a job in four Las Cruces nursing facilities, NMDOJ said.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez charged Gonzalez with 34 counts of misconduct. The charges include identity theft, nursing without a license, resident abuse, distributing controlled substances to a minor, fraud and more, NMDOJ said. It added, the fraud totaled more than $25,000.

If she’s convicted on all counts, she could face up to 100 years in prison.

According to a NMDOJ investigation, Gonzalez illegally administered injections and prescribed medicine, including narcotics to eight children.

The investigation revealed she also incorrectly dosed a patient with insulin, which could have caused a serious incident or death, NMDOJ said. Another nurse caught the mistake before she administered the dose.

Several facilities fired Gonzalez over patient safety worries after she displayed “a questionable method” and “lack of knowledge” during patient care, NMDOJ said.

NMDOJ said Gonzalez worked at the following places, which all paid compensation based on the fraudulent licenses:

Village at Northrise

Las Cruces Wellness and Rehabilitation

Peak Behavioral Health

Matrix Home Care

The Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau of NMDOJ helped with the investigation.

In October 2025, the Texas Board of Nursing issued an imposter alert accusing Gonzalez of posing as a nurse.

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