Author: KVIA

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The Rio Grande Honor Flight carries veterans to visit national memorials built in their honor. On Sept. 26, those veterans will return to the El Paso International Airport, and the city invited the community to welcome them home.

Anyone can attend the free celebration. The City of El Paso said families can take American flags, welcome home signs and messages of appreciation to create a memorable homecoming.

Veterans will return to El Paso at 4 p.m. The celebration will be in the airport’s main lobby.

According to the Rio Grande Honor Flight Website, the next trip takes off Thursday.

The first Honor Flight took off in 2008, according to the website.

Earl Morse, a retired Air Force captain, heard veterans talk about wanting to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C., but knew some couldn’t afford it. As a private pilot, Morse asked some veteran if they would like him to fly them to see the memorial.

The website said the first Honor Flight carried 12 veterans in four small planes — and the Honor Flight was born.

During Honor Flights, guardians help with luggage, wheelchairs and meals. Veterans travel for free while guardians volunteer and cover their own expenses, according to the website.

ABC-7 previously aired an Xtra depth report on a Rio Grande Honor Flight. ABC-7 Chief Meteorologist “Doppler” Dave Speelman joined a flight and shared the story of Vietnam War Veteran George Want. Watch the full report here.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A 29-year-old woman accused of a deadly hit-and-run had a suspended sentence for driving while intoxicated with two children at the time, according to court documents.

On Saturday, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said Melanie Christine Cuellar was found in Mexico and returned to El Paso. EPCSO said she was wanted for the deadly crash and for DWI with children.

The U.S. Marshals Service took her into custody and transported her to the Eagle Pass Port of Entry, EPCSO said. From there, the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office took custody to transport her to El Paso.

EPCSO booked her into the County Downtown Detention Facility. Her bond for a collision involving death was set at $150,000. EPCSO said she’s being held without bond on the DWI with a child charge.

An arrest affidavit said Cuellar had her children with her at the time of the deadly crash. Documents said her son told authorities he “saw his mom run over a lady.”

Cuellar allegedly ran over a woman and drove away

The arrest affidavit said Cuellar ran over a woman on July 19, 2025 at 9:22 a.m.

Maria Lopez walked across Alameda Avenue in South-Central El Paso, investigators wrote. She waited for the traffic to clear before walking onto the westbound lanes. That’s when Cuellar, allegedly driving an SUV, hit Lopez, investigators wrote.

Cuellar allegedly drove away without helping Lopez. She sustained major head trauma and died at the crash site, documents said.

At the crash site, investigators received surveillance video from a nearby business that recorded the crash. Documents said the video showed Cuellar driving over Lopez’ body with her left rear tire.

The same day at 9:20 p.m., a person called 911 to report seeing the SUV allegedly involved in the crash. Documents said the reporter saw the SUV parked on Grant Avenue in Central El Paso.

The caller said Cuellar is his uncle’s ex-girlfriend, documents said. He also told authorities Cuellar allegedly left the SUV and possibly went to Mexico with children.

Investigators said the caller’s uncle told him to report the SUV because “he did not want his mother to get in trouble as she was the registered owner of the vehicle.”

Investigators then met with Cuellar’s ex-boyfriend, who was with his son at the time. Documents said his sun started crying because he “saw his mom run over a lady.”

Cuellar’s ex-boyfriend told investigators he met with her after the crash to ask what happened. Cuellar allegedly said she hit something and was going to flee to Mexico.

Her ex-boyfriend noticed damage on the SUV that wasn’t there before the crash, documents said.

Investigators said Cuellar’s ex also said he realized she may have been involved in the deadly hit-and-run after seeing it on the news.

Documents said investigators used surveillance video that showed Cuellar driving to her apartment in the SUV with her two children. Other video showed the SUV at Grant Avenue about 20-30 minutes later, documents said.

Authorities received a search warrant for the SUV. They compared a piece of grill collected from the crash site to the damage seen on the SUV. Documents said they patched.

Investigators wrote they also found hair and body tissue on the left wheel.

At the time of the deadly crash, Cuellar had a suspended sentence for DWI with a child

Court documents said Cuellar was found guilty of driving while intoxicated with her two children. Her sentence was suspended on Sept. 19, 2024. She had a six-month sentence in a state jail. She was then placed on community supervision for two years, documents said.

An arrest affidavit said the DWI offense happened on March 29, 2024.

Police went to the Paso Del Norte Bridge after learning about an impaired driver with children in an SUV, documents said. Investigators said her boyfriend was in the passenger seat.

Customs and Border Protection agents said Cuellar had “red, glassy, bloodshot eyes” and admitted to drinking, documents said. An agent directed Cuellar to a secondary area, where police were called to assist.

Documents said Cuellar went to Ciudad Juarez to visit her brother and was driving home. She allegedly admitted to drinking about four tall-boy alcoholic beverages.

The officer conducted a field sobriety test and determined Cuellar was intoxicated, documents said. The officer arrested and transported her for processing.

Documents said she provided a breath sample, which resulted in 0.157 and 0.159 BrAC.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Independent School District cancelled all after-school activities amid heavy rain in the area.

EPISD shared this statement:

“Due to inclement weather, all after school activities are canceled for today, Tuesday September 22, 2026.

High School Volleyball and after-school day care at all El Paso ISD Extended Day Learning campuses remain in place, as scheduled.

We continue to monitor weather and will keep our community informed. Thank you for your trust and support in keeping our students and staff safe.”

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Raise a glass for wildlife this Halloween season at the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens. For one night, adults ages 21 and over can attend the annual Brew at the Zoo event.

Brew at the Zoo offers a night of craft beer, live music and animal experiences after the zoo’s regular hours. The City of El Paso said the event supports the zoo’s conservation initiatives and education programs.

Visitors are encouraged to attend the event in a costume.

The night falls on Oct. 17 from 7-11 p.m. The zoo said last entry is at 9 p.m.

VIP early access lets visitors in at 6 p.m., according to the zoo’s website.

Tickets are available for purchase now, but must be purchased online, the city said. It encouraged those planning to attend Brew at the Zoo to drink responsibly and have a designated driver or rideshare plan.

Early Access: $60 General Admission: $40 Group Six-Pack, Early Access: $330 Group Six-Pack, General Admission: $220 Designated Driver: $15

Additionally, the zoo will enforce a “no wristband, no pour, no excuses” policy.

You can purchase your tickets by clicking this link.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Fort Bliss will host an ammunition and explosives amnesty day Wednesday. The military installation said anyone can relinquish any unauthorized, found, stolen or misplaced ammunition and explosives without fear of prosecution.

Ammunition and Explosives Amnesty Day will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at two locations. Weapons, firearms or related armaments won’t be accepted.

Public: Texas Army National Guard Armory (9100 Gateway North Blvd.).

DoD ID cardholders only: East Fort Bliss, in the vicinity of the Blackhawk Tank Trail and the vehicle wash rack.

“We encourage everyone to take advantage of this safe turn-in opportunity to help protect your family, friends and community,” said Fort Bliss Safety Specialist Richard Dewitt. “This is a vital opportunity to relinquish these hazardous items safely and without fear of prosecution or disciplinary action. This program is designed to prevent unforeseen incidents and keep our entire community safe.”

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Gabrielle Lopez

UPDATE (Sept. 22, 2026): CRRUA said it restored water service to the Racetrack Drive/Haciendas San Gabriel area around 3 p.m. Tuesday.

The utility issued a precautionary water boil advisory. Residents should boil water for one minute and let it cool before using it.

As a next step, CRRUA said it’ll send water samples to a laboratory certified by the New Mexico Environmental Department (NMED) to conduct quality testing. The precautionary advisory will lift once lab results confirm the drinking water meets standards.

Residents can find updates here.

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (KVIA) — Tuesday, the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) said it’s working to restore service near Western Playland.

At 12:25 a.m., CRRUA shared a Facebook post with a map of an area that lost water service. The utility said it found the source of the issues.

A map of the area that lost water service.(Courtesy: CRRUA)

At 5:46 a.m., CRRUA said it’s “making positive progress” on the outage. There’s no estimated restoration time.

The utility said that once it restores service, water pressure may stay low for a short time. Some customers may see water discoloration caused by minerals in the system. CRRUA recommended waiting until the water runs clear before using it for laundry.

If discoloration continues for more than 24 hours, customers should run cold water for several minutes until it clears, CRRUA said. Those who keep seeing discoloration should contact CRRUA at 575-589-1075 or the after-hours emergency line at 575-202-7173.

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Hillary Floren

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — He’s an energetic, fun voice on the radio on any given weekday for those listening to 93.1 KISS FM. Fernando Montejano, or “Grizz,” knows his music, and he knows how to entertain. Turns out, he also knows how to mask pain.

“There were so many moments in my life i was ready to throw in the towel,” Grizz said. “I didn’t understand it because I was still in that moment that i didn’t want to look past it. I couldn’t.”

Grizz, the man behind the smile and that cheerful voice, has been through a lot. Thursday on ABC-7 at 6, he opens up about his struggles.

He’s gone through depression, loss, substance abuse, multiple suicide attemps, abuse and loneliness.

Grizz is hoping his story will help others realize they can heal, or at least give them hope.

Tune in Thursday for ABC-7 at 6.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Every September, emergency first responders, families and members of the fire service from the U.S. and Canada gather to honor members who died in the line of duty. Saturday, the El Paso Fire Department paid tribute to two local firefighters in this year’s memorial.

The International Association of Fire Fighters hosted the 40th annual observance in Colorado Springs. It honored 288 fallen IAFF members, including two from El Paso: Angel Bustamante Jr. and Paul McGill.

EPFD Chief Jonathan Killings, the EPFD Honor Guard and Pipes & Drums traveled to Colorado to pay tribute to names on the Wall of Honor.

El Paso City Representative Deanna Maldonado-Rocha and IAFF Local 51 also joined EPFD.

EPFD shared the following about this year’s memorial.

“The memorial serves as a reminder that the loss of a firefighter extends beyond the individual and is felt by families, departments and communities. For the fire service, gathering at the memorial provides an opportunity to remember those who came before, honor their sacrifice and ensure their names and legacies continue to be remembered for generations to come.”

You can view the 2026 Fallen Fire Fighter Wall of Honor Recipients list here. The Wall of Honor holds more than 10,000 IAF members since 1918.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Travelers at the El Paso International Airport can catch a glimpse into the Borderland through the lens of local photographers. Monday, the airport revealed its latest rotation of its annual Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso (PEEP) exhibit.

This year’s PEEP exhibit features 37 pictures by local photographers. Selected works focus on nature, people, color and the world around us.

The City of El Paso said the exhibit offers visitors a “unique look at our community through the eyes of local artists.”

“Thousands and thousands of people will come by and see this great local artwork and hopefully they’ll get a better appreciation of the El Paso area by seeing all these great photographs,” said Tim Holt, president of PEEP.

Until Feb. 28, 2027, airport visitors can find the PEEP exhibit at the rental car center lobby.

Holt said this year marks the 4th PEEP exhibit at the airport.

“Our very first peep show was back in 1995, and we had it way back at a deli on the West Side, where we only had 12 photos up. We’ve really grown,” Holt said.

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Gabrielle Lopez

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KVIA) — Monday, Oracle said it established a $1 million fund to support the Gadsden Independent School District. The company said the fund will support educators, schools and district leaders.

“Every school and every classroom has unique opportunities and challenges,” said GISD Superintendent Nubia Tarazona. “This fund gives our educators and school leaders the flexibility to invest in the ideas, programs, training, and resources that will have the greatest positive impact for our students. 

Oracle said the fund is part of its investment in Dona Ana County and Southern New Mexico. Oracle is developing a data center, Project Jupiter, in the Santa Teresa area.

Education creates opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom,” said Colleen Cassity, global head of Social Impact at Oracle. “When we invest in educators and students, we’re investing in the future of a community and of humanity.”

The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico will administer the funds, Oracle said.

Oracle said the fund will help schools apply for grants that support professional development, teacher stipends, school programs and other needs GISD lists.

GISD will receive the awards throughout the year, Oracle said.

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