Category: kvia-local-news

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Department arrested two parents after the father allegedly drove while intoxicated with children in the car.

Tuesday, deputies stopped a car that didn’t use a turn signal and didn’t stay in a single lane, EPCSO said.

Deputies identified the driver as 25-year-old Ricardo Rivera and said he showed signs of intoxication, such as the smell of an alcoholic beverage from his breath, documents said.

Two children, aged 2 and 3, were in the back of the car, EPCSO said. Sitting with the children was a “friend of his baby mama,” documents said.

According to documents obtained by ABC-7, Rivera admitted to having a few drinks, including two beers while visiting his friend.

They arrested Rivera for driving while intoxicated after a field sobriety test. Rivera’s blood alcohol concentration registered as 0.204, EPCSO said. That’s nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08.

Later, Rivera said he drank Miller High Life “caguamas,” which are 32-ounce beers, documents said. He also said he stopped at a Circle K while dropping off the children’s mother at home and bought more alcoholic drinks.

According to documents, he admitted to drinking and driving.

A deputy searched Rivera’s car and found two Miller High Life beers in the front and six in the back that were “cold to the touch,” according to documents. Some of the drinks were empty or had less of its original amount.

After investigating Rivera, deputies said the children’s mother, 29-year-old Cynthia Garcia, allegedly put the children in danger.

Deputies got two warrants for abandoning or endangering a child for Garcie, and issued them with no bond.

Both parents booked into the Downtown detention facility.

Rivera was charged with DWI with a child and a $2,000 bond, EPCSO said.

EPCSO noted the arrest marks Garcia’s second charge for abandoning or endangering a child within the last three months. According to another arrest document, she left her daughter alone in their apartment while she drank at a different apartment.

In March, a deputy went to an apartment in Canutillo for a welfare check, documents said. People reported hearing Rivera’s daughter crying and yelling for her mother for more than an hour.

The deputy couldn’t find anyone but later found the girl crying behind a screen door of Rivera’s apartment.

Documents said the girl walked to the deputy with her arms extended and seemed “relieved to have [the deputy] present, however appeared scared and was pointing towards the apartment door.”

The deputy carried the girl while searching the area. Garcia appeared from two properties away, documents said, holding a 32-ounce Miller High Life beer.

Garcia told the deputy she lived at the apartment where the deputy found her daughter. Documents said the girl “had been fussy throughout the day” and fell asleep. Garcia said she left her daughter sleeping in the apartment 30 minutes before meeting the deputy.

Garcia said she went to her sister’s apartment with her son and stayed to drink beer and eat wings, according to documents. She was on her way to check on her daughter when she saw deputies at her apartment, she said.

Documents said the girl was left alone for 30 minutes without adult supervision in an “unkept and unsecured apartment.” Additionally, the girl was left with hazards like fecal stains, soiled food, trash, sharp tools and cleaning chemicals.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — The Las Cruces Board of Education reviewed its student dress code Tuesday. With a new dress code possibly being approved, LCPS will host virtual meetings for students, staff and others to give feedback.

The new proposed dress code “emphasizes that students should be able to express their individuality without unnecessary discipline or body shaming, while also outlining standards related to safety, appropriate school attire and clothing that may disrupt the educational environment,” LCPS said.

Documents detailing the policy emphasized students should be able to wear clothes and style their hair to express themselves without fear of punishment or body shaming.

Furthermore, the policy said dress code enforcement will be equally enforced. It won’t be more strictly enforced based on race, gender, religion, income, body size and other factors.

As for schools with a uniform policy, they can still enforce uniforms as long as they are gener-neutral and inclusive of religious attire, LCPS said.

There are restrictions on the types of clothes students can wear, such as:

Clothes showing obscene language, violence or illegal activity

Don’t fully cover the stomach

Pajamas, blankets and slippers

Clothes that cover student’s faces to where they can’t be identified (with the exception of religious or medical headgear)

The policy review said student’s shouldn’t be disciplined or removed from class for violating the dress code unless their outfit is disruptive, hazardous to health or safety, or factors into harassment.

Here is the public meeting schedule LCPS provided. The virtual meeting links are embedded into the file.

Policy Feedback SessionsDownload

You can read the full proposed dress code below.

LCPS proposed dress codeDownload

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Gabrielle Lopez

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KVIA) — Software company Oracle announced an update to its power plan for Project Jupiter, an artificial intelligence data center planned in Doña Ana County.

Wednesday, Oracle said it filed an application to use Bloom Energy fuel cell technology, replacing its original design involving gas turbines and diesel generators.

Fuel cells generate electricity without combustion, Oracle said, lowering emissions and water use.

“Our updated plan delivers reliable on-site power with a smaller environmental footprint and avoids using public drinking water for power generation or data center cooling,” said Mahesh Thiagarajan, executive vice president, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

Compared to the project’s previous air permit application, the new plan is expected to reduce NOx (nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide) emissions by 92%, Oracle said. The system also requires minimal water for power generation after its first fill up.

Oracle said it will pay for its own power and fund energy infrastructure and electricity costs to avoid increasing residents’ electricity rates.

Oracle said the New Mexico Environment Department marked the permit complete and it will move to the next phase: public review. New Mexico residents can share their thoughts about the application through a 30-day public process.

You can send a comment to the NMED with this website.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says the country continues to face an unprecedented and evolving drug threat driven by illicit fentanyl, which the agency says is increasingly mixed with a dangerous array of synthetic substances emerging in the illicit market.

“These combinations are making an already deadly drug supply even more unpredictable and lethal,” the DEA said. “Law enforcement and public health officials are seeing fentanyl combined with highly potent substances such as xylazine, nitazenes, cychlorphine, and medetomidine. Many of these substances are not approved for human use and are often undetectable to the user.”

According to the DEA news release, Xylazine and medetomidine are used by veterinarians to sedate animals. Nitazenes and cychlorphine are potent, unregulated, synthetic opioids. New nitazenes tend to be introduced when regulatory actions, enforcement, and drug scheduling put pressure on existing analogues. DEA has reported 22 unique nitazenes compounds since 2020, 21 of which are listed as Schedule I controlled substances. 

DEA also classified why this matters for the community:

Extreme Potency: These emerging synthetic drugs can be significantly more powerful than fentanyl and greatly increase the risk of suffering a fatal overdose.

Hidden Mixtures: These substances are frequently mixed into counterfeit pills or fentanyl powder without the user’s knowledge.

Reduced Reversal Effectiveness: Drugs like xylazine and medetomidine are not opioids, meaning naloxone may not fully reverse their effects, complicating overdose response. Other synthetics, such as nitazenes and cychlorphine, might require several doses of naloxone to be effective.

Severe Health Impacts: Xylazine has been linked to devastating soft tissue damage, infections, and prolonged sedation, while other synthetics can cause rapid respiratory depression and death.

Public Safety Guidance from the DEA:

Never take a pill that wasn’t prescribed to you and dispensed by a licensed pharmacy.

Assume all illicit drugs may contain fentanyl or other deadly additives.

Carry naloxone and be trained in how to use it, but understand it may not fully reverse all substances present.

Call 911 immediately in any suspected drug poisoning or overdose. Time is critical.

Stay informed and spread awareness. This threat is evolving rapidly.

“Today’s illicit drug supply is more dangerous, more deceptive, and more deadly than ever before. One pill, one try can kill,” the DEA added.

Public awareness and prevention are critical. For more information, visit DEA.gov/fentanyl free and DEA.gov/onepill.

Just recently, the DEA drug lab team investigated a deadly incident in Mountainair, which is close to Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

ABC-7 will speak today with DEA El Paso Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeffery Castillo, who oversees the referenced lab team.

Watch the full story tonight in out later newscasts.

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Rishi Oza

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Wednesday, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality granted El Paso County a contested case hearing on its recent air quality permit requested for the Marathon refinery in South-Central.

A contested case hearing is a process similar to a civil trial in state court. The process will allow for more information to become public about the permit.

“I pushed for this hearing in response the concerns of nearby residents, who for years have reported impacts on their health and property from refinery emissions,” said County Commissioner David Stout. “There is a long history with the refinery, which in 2011 agreed to pay a penalty of $1.5 million and make $60 million in improvements to its operations after an Environmental Protection Agency investigation. Through the hearing process, we will be able to review in more detail what has transpired since then.”

TCEQ has 180 days to schedule the hearing.

Texas State Representative Vince Perez had one of his aides read a letter Wednesday urging the case hearing. He doesn’t want the refinery to be shut down; he wants the information to be out there.

“One of the commission’s own alternative dispute resolution processes can help resolve through mediation, in which the county, community and the company sit at the same table before a neutral judge,” Rep. Perez said in his letter. “The realistic goal is negotiated and foreseeable emissions concessions, not closure.”

ABC-7 will have more tonight on ABC-7 at 10.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — During his radio show Wednesday morning, KLAQ’s Buzz Adams got a makeover.

KLAQ’s crew surrounded Adams to watch his eyebrows and hair slowly come off.

The radio host lost a bet with Nico, a member of the show, on the Western Conference NBA Finals.

Adams and Nico said they chose the teams representing their home states, Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, respectively.

As a result, Adams got his head and eyebrows shaved live on the air.

Nico said if he lost the bet, Adams would have poured honey on his head and swat flies on it.

“This really backfired on me,” Nico said. “I’m really regretting he’s looking better than I do bald.”

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Gabrielle Lopez

RUIDOSO, N.M. (KVIA) — The National Weather Service in Albuquerque issued a “life-threatening” flash flood warning for the South Fork burn scar, which is in and around Ruidoso and the Lincoln National Forest. Some roads in Ruidoso will flood Wednesday.

Flood warnings are issued when flooding is happening or will happen soon, the village posted on Facebook Wednesday.

The Village of Ruidoso said the flood warning stands until 6:15 p.m. The village said Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, Alto, Glencoe and Hollywood could see flash floods Wednesday.

The expected heavy rains will cause creeks, streams and ditches within the burn scar to flood.

Expected excessive rainfall over the burn scar will impact these drainages, according to the village:

Upper Canyon

Brady Canyon

Perk Canyon

Cedar Creek

Eagle Creek

Rio Ruidoso (may extend downstream of Ruidoso Downs)

Debris flow could include rock, mud and other loose materials, the village said. Roads could be washed away and covered in debris, the village said.

The village said to climb to safety if you encounter flood waters.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Wednesday, Airbnb presented a $225,000 donation for anti-human trafficking organizations based in Texas, including two from El Paso.

Texas leaders united in El Paso to renew their commitment to combat human trafficking. Texas Senator César Blanco was among the crowd.

“Human trafficking isn’t always visible. It can occur in our neighborhoods, businesses, and communities without people realizing what’s happening,” Rep. Blanco said. “As Texas prepares to welcome visitors from around the world for major events like the FIFA World Cup, raising awareness and supporting survivors is more important than ever.”

Two El Paso-based nonprofits attended the donation announcement: the Paso Del Norte Center of Hope and Center Against Sexual and Family Violence.

The gathering ended with representatives signing a blue heart, the internationally-recognized symbol of human trafficking awareness, according to Airbnb.

Airbnb said the donation is party of the company’s community fund, which supports local communities and the people who live there.

In 2017, Airbnb helped launch a free tool to help hosts report potential child exploitation, the company said.

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Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — Thursday, a free car seat fitting will take place at Sisbarro Buick-GMC in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Parents will get hands-on help to install booster seats.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation said the fitting station will take place June 4 at 425 W. Boutz Rd. from 3-5 p.m.

Inspections are on a first-come, first-served basis and doesn’t require an appointment.

NMDOT said participants should bring their own car seat, manuals for the car and booster seat and the child who will use the seat.

If inspectors notice a booster seat is recalled or unsafe, there will be replacement options. A $35 replacement fee may apply, and children must be present for the change, NMDOT said.

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El Paso Matters

by Priscilla Totiyapungprasert

Nearly 180 detainees are under quarantine for possible measles exposure at Camp East Montana, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Fort Bliss, city health officials told El Paso Matters on Wednesday.

The facility initiated quarantine after 16 detainees were identified as contacts of two confirmed measles cases at a detention facility in Arizona, city officials said. The detainees arrived at Camp East Montana before the Arizona measles cases were confirmed, Dr. Hector Ocaranza, city and county health authority, said in an email statement to El Paso Matters.

City, state and federal officials didn’t say when the quarantine began.

But it appears the quarantine started at the detention center several days before state and local health officials were notified of possible measles exposures. A Catholic group was turned away Sunday from a planned Mass and told there was a quarantine to protect against measles spread, said a person familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified.

The chain of communication among federal, state and local authorities raises questions about whether ICE delayed notification on potentially serious public health matters. 

As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, there were no detainees at Camp East Montana showing symptoms of measles, and no indication of measles spread in the El Paso community linked to these exposures, Ocaranza said.

Chris Van Deusen, a spokesperson for the state health department, said a group of detainees were also quarantined for measles exposure at the West Texas Detention Facility in Sierra Blanca. The detention centers are quarantining because of different possible exposures to measles cases in other states, he said in an email.

Earlier this year, measles infected 16 detainees at Camp East Montana and eight people in the community. All of the community cases worked for the federal government or had ties to immigration detention facilities. The outbreak was linked to a surge of measles cases in the West Texas Detention Facility in Sierra Blanca, which receives transfers from Camp East Montana.

READ MORE: How measles reporting gaps by ICE, hospital delayed El Paso’s response to outbreak

The quarantined detainees at Camp East Montana are separated into two groups for monitoring: 130 men with quarantine scheduled to end June 11 and 48 women with quarantine scheduled to end June 20. No one in either group has reported symptoms, Ocaranza said.

A worker at Camp East Montana who answered the phone Tuesday said the facility remains open to visitors, depending on the quarantine status of the detainee they’re visiting.

Timeline raises questions again about timely communication

El Paso Matters initially asked city and federal officials about a possible quarantine at Camp East Montana on Monday. City officials initially said on Tuesday they hadn’t received notification of any communicable diseases at the detention center. On Wednesday, they said that state health officials had notified them Tuesday afternoon.

Chris Van Deusen, a spokesperson for the state health department, told El Paso Matters at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday that he was not aware of the quarantine. Then, in a follow-up Wednesday, Van Deusen said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified the state agency Tuesday about groups under quarantine at both Camp East Montana and the West Texas Detention Facility in Sierra Blanca. 

ICE did not respond to El Paso Matters’ initial request for comment. The Department of Homeland Security later confirmed the Camp East Montana quarantine Wednesday afternoon. The agency did not respond to questions about when the quarantine began and if any contacts were transferred to the West Texas Detention Facility.

SEE ALSO: ‘I am scared to be here’: Lawsuit seeks to halt ICE’s Camp East Montana operations over alleged standards violations

Following the wave of measles cases earlier this year, email records obtained by El Paso Matters revealed how communication gaps challenged epidemiologists’ ability to contact trace and contain the spread.

Ocaranza and DHS didn’t respond to questions from El Paso Matters on whether El Paso public health officials had received adequate and timely notification about the current quarantine at Camp East Montana.

“It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody,” an unnamed DHS spokesperson said Wednesday in an email statement. “This includes medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care.” 

DHS did not respond to questions about the measles situation at Camp East Montana and the West Texas Detention Facility.

PODCAST: Emails reveal confusion, failures in El Paso measles outbreak response

The state health department is coordinating with the medical team at the West Texas Detention Facility and the U.S. Marshals Service regarding several detainees who were exposed to confirmed measles cases, Ocaranza said.

The city health department relaunched its measles dashboard earlier this year with a list of community exposure sites, which included the El Paso County Jail, where federal detainees are also held.

Patrick Gailey, chief deputy of the El Paso County Detention Bureau, said if inmates are brought from outside agencies such as the Marshals Service, they have to report whether the individual was exposed so they can immediately be isolated and notify jail staff to make sure that staff is also protected.

“Right now we don’t have anyone at the jails who has measles,” Gailey told El Paso Matters. “Right now we have zero reports of any measles outbreak or chicken pox.”

Gailey said all inmates are given a medical screening upon entering the facility and if there is a measles exposure inmates would be put in a 21-day quarantine.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease that often causes a fever and rash. People are considered contagious four days prior to rash onset.

Elida S. Perez and Robert Moore contributed to this story.

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