Category: kvia-local-news

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Marathon Petroleum said it will gift $70,000 to eight nonprofits in El Paso. The announcement came Thursday, which is the first day of El Paso Giving Day Early Giving.

The Paso del Norte Community Foundation gives donors a full week to make a difference in the community before the main event on Oct. 15.

Early Giving started Thursday at midnight and will run through Oct. 14 at 11:59 p.m.

“We all agree that one of the key pillars is environmental conservation and sustainability,” said Marathon spokesperson VJ Smith. “We’re celebrating 8 organizations that do a really good job of that here in El Paso.”

Smith said the gift goes beyond funding. He said employees from Marathon will “roll up [their] sleeves and get involved in the community work.”

One of the eight nonprofits receiving part of the $70,000 is Recker’s Outreach. Samantha Recker said she created the program to help children in need because she was a “troubled child.”

The organization received a $10,000 check at a presentation Thursday.

“What they’re dealing with right now doesn’t define them,” a Recker’s spokesperson told ABC-7. “Children make mistakes. It is our job as leaders to show them that they can learn from that mistake and become something greater.”

Recker said her program plans to use the money to waive service fees for families.

Other businesses have announced they’re giving money for Giving Day, including Meta. PDNCF said El Pasoans can also donate to nonprofits in the city.

“Gifts of as little as $10 help local nonprofits provide essential services throughout the Paso delNorte region. Every dollar raised stays in our region, and participating nonprofits receive 100% ofthe funds they raise,” PDNCF said in a news release.

More information about El Paso Giving Day is accessible here.

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Gabrielle Lopez

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KVIA) — The Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office (DASO) is responding to a “threat” at a Las Cruces home, according to the county’s public safety communications specialist.

The sheriff’s office reported that the “threat is confined to the residence.”

DASO went to a neighborhood on Dalrymple Road, north of Mayfield High School.

ABC-7 is sending a crew to the area to learn more.

ABC-7 viewer Donna Cyr shared these photos of the scene:

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Gabrielle Lopez

HUDSPETH COUNTY, Texas (KVIA) — A 47-year-old man died in a crash in Hudspeth County Wednesday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

DPS said Tony Ray Wade drove a truck tractor towing a semitrailer. He drove on I-10 West at Mile Marker 125, which is 18 miles west of Sierra Blanca.

At 3:50 a.m., Wade, for unknown reasons, left the roadway and drove onto the outside shoulder, DPS said. He hit a guardrail and a concrete barrier.

The impact overturned both vehicles, which came to a stop upside down. They blocked two lanes on the highway.

After the crash, the truck tractor caught fire, DPS said. Wade was trapped inside, where he died from his injuries. He was pronounced dead at 4:49 a.m.

DPS said the crash is under investigation.

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Max Zepeda

UPDATE (Oct. 9, 2026): A vintage store owner near the damaged building said the incident didn’t surprise her.

Darlene Escandon owns Jane & Jensen Vintage Nostalgia Shop. Her shop is right next to the building that caused a sidewalk closure after part of it fell on someone.

“It’s just alarming now that nothing still has been done with that building, even though the city has tried several times to reach out to do more for the building to take responsibility for it as well,” Escandon said.

She hopes the city will continue to monitor the situation to ensure safety for residents and customers.

According to the El Paso Central Appraisal District, local businessman Billy Abraham owns a business that owns the property.

UPDATE (4:30 p.m.): Part of the building fell due to “deteriorated structural connections,” the City of El Paso said. Staff said the remaining part of the eave is “an imminent danger to public safety” due to its instability.

Staff will need to remove the rest of the cornice. The sidewalk will stay barricaded in the meantime, the city said.

“This is private property. Notices will be posted at the property and mailed to the property owner tomorrow morning. The property owner will be given an opportunity to address the conditions identified in the notices before the City determines what additional action may be necessary. This may include the City removing the remaining cornice and placing a lien on the property to recover the associated costs,” the city said in an update.

City staff also confirmed there’s no building permit activity associated with the property. They looked at electronic records that extended back at least 20 years, officials said.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Part of a building facade fell on a person in Downtown El Paso Thursday, according to the City of El Paso. That person went to a hospital.

It happened just before noon. The El Paso Fire Department received a call about “an incident at a building near East San Antonio Avenue and North Mesa Street.” ABC-7 saw the sidewalk across the street from the Fallas Parades (La Popular) building closed off.

The city said part of the building’s eaves fell and injured the person, who went to a hospital with minor injuries. Eaves are the edges on a roof that extend past the outside walls of a building.

A bystander said he was eating lunch in the area when he heard part of the eaves fall. He heard the injured person “mumble that he was in pain.”

The El Paso Police Department has blocked off the sidewalk in the immediate area. City staff are assessing the property for any safety concerns.

Code Enforcement and Planning and Inspections staff are assessing the property to decide what steps to take next.

Planning and Inspections staff said the property doesn’t have active work permits. Staff said the building has been vacant and are reviewing the property’s history.

Staff are trying to contact the property owner about the building’s condition.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) — The Chihuahua State Police Department (Secretaría de Seguridad Pública del Estado de Chihuahua) said this week that no murders were reported in 51 of Chihuahua’s 67 municipalities last month.

SSPE’s Assistant Police Chief Luis Ángel Aguirre held a news conference this week and announced that September ended as the least violent September in the last 10 years, adding that no September since 2016 had seen such a low incidence of crime.

76 percent of the state recorded no cases of murder, meaning that those 51 Chihuahua municipalities remained “peaceful throughout the entire month,” Aguirre also said.

SSPE reported that 29 murder incidents were reported in Ciudad Juárez, while 30 cases were recorded in the City of Chihuahua, which placed Juárez below the state capital regarding this crime “a historic first” for SSPE.

“This result confirms the effectiveness of the security strategy based on the ‘Centinela’ model, which shows indicators reflecting a drastic decrease in homicide victims,” SSPE Deputy Police Chief Aguirre said

SSPE Chihuahua also reported that Juárez, Bocoyna, and Guadalupe y Calvo are currently seeing reductions of 20%, 49%, and 22%, respectively, in homicide cases, confirming the real impact of implementing the ‘Centinela system’ as a “cornerstone of public security.”

“The State Secretariat of Public Security reaffirms its commitment to maintaining coordination across all three levels of government and to continuing the strengthening of the Centinela Platform’s operational and intelligence capabilities, to consolidate peace and tranquility for families in Chihuahua,” SSPE said in a statement.

Watch the full story tonight in our afternoon and evening newscasts.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — An evening of Halloween fun is in store for El Paso. On Halloween from 3-6 p.m., the City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Department will host carnivals at recreation and community centers across the city.

The annual Halloween Carnivals are free to attend. Families can expect jumping balloons, music, carnival games and candy. The city encouraged children to dress in their Halloween costume for a chance to win a costume contest.

Carnivals will be set up at the following locations:

Central/South-Central

Chamizal Community Center, 2119 Cypress Ave. San Juan Recreation Center, 701 N. Glenwood St. Seville Recreation Center, 6700 Sambrano Ave. Sylvia A. Carreon Community Center, 709 Lomita Dr. Wayne Thornton Community Center, 3134 Jefferson Ave.

West El Paso

Don Haskins Recreation Center, 7400 High Ridge Dr. Galatzan Recreation Center, 650 Wallenberg Dr.

East/Far East

Gary Del Palacio Recreation Center, 3001 Parkwood St. Marty Robbins Recreation Center, 11620 Vista Del Sol Dr. Michelle T. Adjemian Recreation Center, 9031 Viscount Blvd. The Beast Urban Park, 13501 Jason Crandall Dr.

Northeast El Paso

Mountain View Park/Rae Gilmore Recreation Center, 8501 Diana Dr. Nolan Richardson Recreation Center, 4435 Maxwell Ave. Veterans Recreation Center, 5301 Salem Dr.

Lower Valley

Officer David Ortiz Recreation Center, 563 N. Carolina Dr. Pat O’Rourke Recreation Center, 901 N. Virginia St. Pavo Real Recreation Center, 9301 Alameda Ave. Valle Bajo Community Center, 7380 Alameda Ave.

Downtown/Near Downtown

Armijo Recreation Center, 700 E. 7th Ave. Chihuahuita Community Center, 417 Charles Rd. Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — A 40-year-old woman was sentenced to nine years in prison for burglaries as part of a global plea, the Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office said. She pleaded guilty to stealing from several storage units.

Victoria Cabrales pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary, two counts of conspiracy to commit burglary and one count of receiving stolen property stemming from three separate cases.

She received a three-year sentence for each case, which will run consecutively.

Victoria Cabrales’ mugshot.(Courtesy: Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office)

On Feb. 5, 2025, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office received a trespassing report at a storage facility. Deputies found Cabrales and another person at a storage unit they claimed they owned, the D.A.’s office said.

During questioning, authorities saw a blowtorch and two locks that appeared to have been cut with the torch. The D.A.’s office said Cabrales and the other person failed to show a working key to unlock the storage unit. Authorities detained them.

The storage unit’s owner told authorities the pair didn’t have permission to access it, officials said.

Cabrales said they broke into other storage units at a different facility a few days before and stole items, officials said. Deputies found stolen firearms, jewelry, collectibles, money, power tools and electronics.

At the time, Cabrales was wanted for receiving $16,000 in stolen coins, the D.A.’s office said. Deputies learned that in January, she had the coins and sold them to local pawn shops.

The Doña Ana County District Attorney’s Office is working to prosecute the accomplice.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — An El Paso man has been convicted for three counts related to fentanyl trafficking, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated 45-year-old Charles Arellano, a fentanyl dealer, USAO said.

During a fentanyl transaction in January 2025, Arellano claimed to have connections with various drug cartels and had been involved in drug dealing for a long time, officials said.

USAO said he fled to Mexico in early 2025. Mexican authorities apprehended him in June 2025 and returned him to the U.S.

He was indicted in July 2025 with Yvonne Beltran-Leyva, USAO said.

Beltran-Leyva pleaded guilty in October 2025. She received a 108-month federal prison sentence in April for her involvement in the fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.

Arellano’s sentencing date hasn’t been set yet. USAO said he faces five to 40 years in federal prison.

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Mia Tricarico

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The Socorro Independent School District is going digital with a new virtual learning program. SISD Virtual Academy will offer a fully online learning option for Texas public high school students.

Students in grades 9-12 will earn credits through the program to earn a SISD diploma.

According to the district, the digital curriculum will run through Edgenuity. Schoology will serve as the academy’s management system to keep track of communication, announcements, grading and assignments.

The first cohort will have up to 50 students, the district said. Applications will be reviewed in the order received. However, the district said a submitted application doesn’t guarantee acceptance.

According to the SISD Virtual Academy website, applications will open soon.

The website also said students need internet access, a web camera, a microphone, headphones and a device. You can find more details about the technology requirements here.

“We’re excited to begin our our Socorro Virtual Academy pilot. The intent of the program is to meet the ever changing needs of our community, especially our students and families, as the educational landscape has changed.” Said Carlos Guerra Assistant Superintendent of SISD Secondary Education.

“We need to provide different opportunities for students to learn in a different manner. The Virtual Academy provides that opportunity.” Added Guerra

ABC-7 asked students and past students what they thought about the virtual option.

“I feel like there needs to be hands on learning, especially if their brains can’t process it enough. Because during Covid time, when I was going to high school, that was a big problem for me.” Said Dillon Housley.

Webster Rain another past student added,” Not only is like your education suffering, but also just general social interaction and learning how to act around other people in general, which I think Covid and a lot of the online like caused us to suffer a lot.”

Both Rain and Housley told ABC-7 that they feel like the in person components of school can not be replicated in a virtual program.

If you are interested in applying for the program SISD is hosting a virtual webinar on Monday, Oct. 12 at 5:30 p.m.

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Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — A fire damaged a home on Picacho Avenue Wednesday night, according to the Las Cruces Fire Department.

Firefighters went to the intersection of Quesenberry Street and W. Picacho Avenue for a report of fire. It happened at a mobile home.

Las Cruces firefighters extinguish a mobile home fire late Wednesday evening (October 7, 2026).(Courtesy: LCFD)

Crews saw fire come out of the rear of the mobile home, LCFD said. They controlled the fire within five minutes.

Damage done by a mobile home fire.(Courtesy: LCFD)

LCFD is investigating the cause of the fire. It didn’t report any injuries.

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