Category: kvia-local-news

Mia Tricarico

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Karol G will take the stage at the El Paso Sun Bowl Stadium next weekend — and the University of Texas at El Paso is already preparing.

Karol G will perform Sep. 5-6 as part of her “Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour.”

In July, UTEP announced Becky G will join her for the El Paso shows.

ABC-7 will speak with UTEP’s director of special events, Jorge Vazquez to see how the campus is preparing to host the singer-songwriter.

ABC-7 got to see day two of the ten day long setup efforts at the Sun Bowl.

Vazquez described the process as building a city from nothing. He said they don’t have the capacity or space indoors, so instead they make everything from scratch. Including plumbing, electric, running water, drainage systems and Wi-Fi.

But in addition to all the physical work that goes into setting up, Vazquez acknowledges the fulfilling feeling he gets once he sees it all come together. He describes it as almost “addicting”

“Seeing the the the fruits of your labor and the labor of your team and how much people are enjoying it, how much the artist is enjoying it. It’s a daunting feeling to see a major production, that plays a major cities in the world, to be here in El Paso. And the face that we all made it happen.”

ABC-7 went to UTEP’s Campus to see how students and fans felt about the Colombian artist coming to El Paso.

“‘m excited because not that many artists come to El Paso. So it’s cool seeing someone big come and kind of give us a little shout out. Even when BTS came, I felt like that was something cool, something new.” Said Maya, a UTEP Freshman studying nursing.

She said wasn’t able to get tickets due to the high demand. But she also explained how Karol G coming to UTEP is more than just a fun weekend.

“I feel like UTEP is kind of unknown. So I feel like it gives us kind of like, oh, come to UTEP, we offer a lot of stuff, you know.”

ABC-7 asked Vazquez what it meant to him to have a global superstar coming to UTEP in less than ten days.

“It’s going to be a part of history, it’s really meaningful because my goal has always, always been to put El Paso on the map to make sure that El Paso is not just a city in the southwest.”

He added,” El Paso has to be a destination for global acts. And I think little by little we have proven that we are. We proved with Coldplay, MTS, and now Karol G.”

Vazquez also said that most of the physical labor happens when the sun goes down. The project includes measuring out the field to know exactly where Karol G will stand and how large the stage will be.

Even the standard facilities are getting a complete overhaul. The football team’s locker rooms are being turned into spacious “glam rooms” for the talent and her crew, while temporary outdoor plumbing, electrical grid setups, and high-speed Wi-Fi are installed across the complex.

When fans flood into the Sun Bowl, they will also get a authentic taste of the Sun City. Instead of typical stadium concession food, Vazquez is ensuring local mom-and-pop vendors take center stage giving out-of-town guests and local concertgoers a taste of local El Paso favorites, including birria tacos.

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Rosemary Garcia

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The Texas Department of Transportation unveiled new technology to help prevent high-speed pursuits across the state. In December 2025, some Texas DPS patrol unites implemented the Grappler System to immobilize fleeing vehicles during pursuits.

The Grappler system has been used by other law enforcement agencies across the nation to stop violators traveling at speeds of 30-80 miles per hour.

The technology is mounted to the front of the DPS patrol unit, and the system is activated from inside. It deploys a heavy-duty net that catches a vehicle’s rear tire. This allows the wheels to lock, and the car comes to a controlled stop by a tether.

In 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott started cracking down on migrant crossings through Operation Lone Star, resulting in more state troopers in the Borderland.

Authorities pursued vehicles they suspected of carrying migrants; some resulted in serious crashes and injuries. Many pursuits ended in neighborhoods, highways and schools, which worried some residents.

Texas DPS said it decided to make this investment to help keep everyone on the roads safe.

Sergeant Eliot Torres, who represents the West Texas DPS Region, said two patrol units currently have the technology installed in the West Texas sector.

So far, the technology has been deployed seven times in West Texas.

“We’ve seen the benefit and the benefit of safety. That’s our main goal as police officers, the Department of Public Safety; it’s in our name,” he added.

“So we want to make sure that using tools such as this is going to ensure that there’s no secondary crashes, and even fatal that are caused by those secondary crashes. And it ensures the safety of the trooper, the violator, everybody around us.”

Sgt. Torres understands many pursuits become dangerous, so they’re hoping with the new system in place, it will help prevent that.

Texas DPS troopers must undergo training to deploy the system.

“As soon as they are certified and the instructors in the field out there in Austin are reassured that they’re okay to use this, then we send them back to our regions, our areas, so that we can use this in our community,” he said.

Outfitting one individual patrol unit costs 8,000 dollars, and replacing the net is estimated at around $400.

Sgt. Torres said the trooper deploying the technology will only feel a slight tug. He said many people locally have commended on the system’s unique look.

He wants people to obey authorities and pull over when they see flashing emergency lights.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s our agency; it doesn’t matter if it’s El Paso PD or the sheriff’s office or the constable’s. Whatever agency is going to pull you over, please pull over and do so safely,” he said.

Sgt. Torres said they hope to implement this technology in more Texas DPS patrol units in the coming years.

Watch the special report, “The Grappler,” Thursday on ABC-7 at 6.

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Armando Ramirez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Thursday, a six-vehicle crash, including a semi, left two hospitalized, according to the El Paso Police and Fire Department. Police said the semi ran a red light.

EPPD said the call came in at 5:38 a.m. Police said minor injuries were reported.

The crash occurred at the intersection of Transmountain and Desert South Boulevard.

Texas Department of Transportation cameras showed the semi rolled over. Police said the crash also led to a fertilizer spill. The fire department said the spill didn’t leave any hazards in the area.

(Courtesy: TxDOT)

The Texas Department of Transportation said the two right lanes of Desert South closed so authorities could respond to the crash.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Four people were hospitalized after a crash involving a Sun Metro bus on Thursday.

The El Paso Fire Department said it happened around 8:50 a.m. near the intersection of Edgemere and Airway Boulevard.

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Max Zepeda

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A person died after a truck hit them on the I-10 West near Lee Trevino Wednesday, according to the El Paso Police Department.

EPPD said the Special Traffic Investigations Unit received the call at 9:12 p.m.

Investigators said the person lay on the roadway for “unknown reasons.” Police didn’t identify the pedestrian.

A driver couldn’t avoid the person on the road and hit them, police said.

Wednesday, EPPD said a semi hit the pedestrian. Thursday, police sent updated information about a GMC Sierra truck involved in the crash.

The crash temporarily closed a portion of the freeway.

EPPD said the incident marked the 39th traffic death, compared to 40 at the same time last year.

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Max Zepeda

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The San Juan Neighborhood Association invited residents to attend a community meeting Wednesday to discuss Marathon Petroleum refinery. The meeting comes three weeks after the refinery released more than 15 tons pollutants, according to environmental reports.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said an electrical issue caused the Aug. 4 incident. Emissions left some residents in the area with irritated eyes and nausea.

U.S. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, and City Representative Josh Acevedo are all expected to attend the meeting tonight, according to the neighborhood association.

In response to the meeting taking place, Marathon provided ABC-7 with the following statement:

We share the goals of transparency, air monitoring, public information, timely notification, and protection of public health. Safe and reliable operations are core principles of Marathon Petroleum. We never want our operations to negatively impact our neighbors, and we are sorry for the disturbance residents experienced due to the event on Aug. 4. We believe it is important to note the actions we took – and have taken – since the event:

This week, we will host our Community Advisory Panel meeting. This is a meeting we have been holding regularly for years with members of neighborhoods near the refinery to share information about our operations and hear about neighbors’ concerns and answer their questions. We will be providing these neighbors with information about the Aug. 4 odor event and details regarding our response.

In response to this event, our operators responded immediately. We shut down the affected equipment, stabilized the unit, deployed mobile off-site air monitoring, and notified the City and the TCEQ, following required notification and reporting protocols.

From that Tuesday night through the following Sunday, we monitored surrounding neighborhoods and locations as far as downtown, taking hundreds of individual readings. Although the odor Tuesday night was undoubtedly strong, our monitoring equipment is calibrated to detect levels that could represent a risk to health, and at the locations and times sampled, the monitoring did not detect levels indicating a health risk. We have shared air monitoring data with EPA.

After the incident, we filed our preliminary findings about the emissions through TCEQ’s reporting system. That report was available publicly and was mentioned in several news stories. The report provided our initial estimate of source emissions on site at the refinery. Those are not the same as ground-level air monitoring in the neighborhoods beyond our fenceline.

On Aug. 18, we filed our final report on the incident with the TCEQ, including refined calculations of what was released. This is a transparent process; this final report is available publicly.

In addition, Marathon Petroleum provides fenceline emissions monitoring data to the EPA which is publicly available through EPA’s website. Also, TCEQ maintains air monitors, including the Womble Air Monitoring Station near the refinery, and makes air quality data from its monitors available through TCEQ’s website.

We support the idea of a better community notification system and have been working with the city of El Paso for the past year to establish a system that can directly call and inform residents of events at the refinery – even when health risks are not involved. This process would be in addition to Marathon’s 24-hour Community Helpline, which has been expanded to manage higher call volumes.

We are also investigating the Aug. 4 event, reviewing the cause, and identifying any appropriate corrective actions. Our trained professionals work every day to operate this refinery safely, reliably, and in compliance with environmental requirements.

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Gabrielle Lopez

CANUTILLO, Texas (KVIA) — Wednesday, the Canutillo Independent School District broke ground and formally launched a private fiber network to help with digital learning. CISD Superintendent Josue Borrego said the network is a $4 million modernization move.

The district said the private network will give students access to high-speed, reliable connectivity.

“The new network will guarantee resilience and uptime, enabling uninterrupted access to digital learning tools, virtual classrooms, and advanced educational resources,” CISD said.

According to Superintendent Borrego, the $4 million came from a federal program, and no taxpayer money was used for the network.

Beyond the classroom, the network will help improve the district’s safety initiatives, including security systems used in computers and buildings.

“Every day, we’re so dependent on connectivity. Students use their laptops; teachers use [them] to do their lessons,” Borrego said. “This will allow us to provide a top-tier service to our students and our families.”

CISD said it partnered with UDT, a technology enabler, and WANRack, an infrastructure provider.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The Texas Transportation Commission approved a transportation program that included a projected investment of $138 billion. The program includes funding for the Montana Avenue project, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

The 2027 Unified Transportation Program (UTP) includes $95 billion for projects across the state over the next 10 years, TxDOT said. The investment is supported by an additional $43 billion in development and routine maintenance.

For El Paso, the new UTP includes funding for the US 62/180 (Montana Avenue) Phase 2 Project, TxDOT said.

The project has an estimated cost of $182.5 million, and it received $100.49 million through the UTP, according to El Paso District Engineer Tomas Treviño. He said the project will extend expressway lanes and frontage roads from Tierra Este Road to FM 659 (Zaragoza Road).

Texas Senator Cesar Blanco said the 2027 UTP will provide $85 million in Category 12 funding for the Montana Avenue project.

“This investment continues the transformation of Montana Avenue into a safer, more efficient transportation corridor,” Treviño said.

Sen. Blanco issued the following statement about the funding for the project in El Paso:

“This funding is a major win for El Paso and for everyone who has worked for years to move the Montana Avenue project forward. This project will improve mobility, help address congestion, and provide a safer, more reliable connection for the families, workers, and businesses that rely on this corridor every day.

We’ve watched this project take shape over the years, and we know how much work and investment it takes to move a project of this size forward. This $85 million investment puts us in a much stronger position to complete Phase 2 and deliver infrastructure that El Paso has been asking for and needs.

This investment is the result of years of teamwork between our community, local leaders, and the Texas Transportation Commission. I look forward to continuing to work together to get Montana Avenue Phase 2 across the finish line.”

According to TxDOT, the UTP involves project development to enhance safety, address congestion and connectivity and preserve roadways. It also includes public transportation, maritime, aviation, rail, freight, international trade and bicycle and pedestrian connectivity.

“Texas’ booming economy and growing population demand a transportation system that keeps people and products moving safely and efficiently,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott in a statement. “By investing in critical infrastructure today, we are building a bigger, better Texas for generations to come.”

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said it closed an investigation involving the Hope and Anchor bar in West El Paso. The investigation started after a 19-year-old driver allegedly drank at the bar before a deadly crash in April.

TABC said the investigation closed in July due to a “lack of substantiating evidence.”

According to an arrest affidavit, Ambar Chavira drank at Hope and Anchor with her “sugar daddy.” While driving back home, she allegedly rear-ended 56-year-old Jaime Andrade at a high rate of speed.

Andrade later died at the hospital, police said.

April 9, the TABC confirmed with ABC-7 that it opened an investigation involving the bar. The bar stayed open during the investigation because it didn’t present a clear danger to the public or pose a risk to investigators.

“Businesses found to have sold alcohol to minors could face a temporary suspension of their license to sell alcohol along with a civil fine,” TABC told ABC-7. “Additionally, the individual employee who sold the alcohol could face a Class A misdemeanor charge punishable by up to a year in county jail and a $4,000 fine.”

The Hope and Anchor bar said Chavira provided a fake ID.

“Hope and Anchor requires ID checks for all guests who appear to be under thirty. When a guest presents what appears to be a valid, government-issued ID, Texas law considers that due diligence fulfilled. Hope and Anchor was presented with such an ID on the evening of April 6,” the bar said.

According to an arrest affidavit, Chavira’s mother told authorities that Chavira left the crash site without calling 911. Court records said she was charged with intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and collision involving death. When they found her, they noticed signs of intoxication, according to documents.

Ambar Chavira’s mugshot.(Courtesy: EPPD)

According to jail records, Chavira posted a $100,000 surety bond.

An attorney for Cesar Ornelas Injury Law said the firm is seeking information about the unidentified adult male who was allegedly with Chavira at the bar.

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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.

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