Category: kvia-local-news

Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — The Las Cruces Police Department on Thursday warned the public for suspicious people who steal copper wire from light poles and new construction sites.

Police think people steal copper wide from light poles, take off plastic coating, chop the wire into small section and sell the scraps to recycling centers in El Paso and Las Cruces. Police said scrap copper wire can sell for about $5 per pound at the centers.

However, police said each incident of copper wire theft can cost the city up to $10,000 for repairs.

The thefts also pose a public safety hazard since some roads have to go without lighting at night until repairs are made, police said.

LCPD said most of the copper wire thefts happen between midnight and 5 a.m. near home construction sites and established neighborhoods.

It’s happened from Elks Drive, Holman Road and West Mesa Industrial Park, according to LCPD.

Since November 2025, LCPD received around 100 reports about stolen copper wire. Since January 2026, police arrested and charged 12 people suspected of stealing copper wire from light poles.

Police said typical charges are felony counts of criminal damage to property and larceny.

LCPD urged people to report suspicious activity about copper wire theft to (575) 526-0795.

Police said vehicles without City of Las Cruces or El Paso Electric logos parked near light poles should be considered suspicious.

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — El Paso Independent School District students are producing a full-scale theatrical production of “Shrek the Musical.” They’ll perform on stage July 15-18 at Coronado High School.

EPISD said its Fine Arts department has been working on the play and will showcase student work in acting, music, stage building, costume making and other theatrical skills.

“Fine Arts gives students the opportunity to discover their passions, build confidence, and develop skillsthat last a lifetime,” said Phillip Barraza, Senior Director of EPISD’s Fine Arts.

Performances are free, according to EPISD. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the musical starts at 7 p.m. EPISD said students will perform July 15-18 at Coronado High School.

Click here to follow the original article.

Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The Paso del Norte Center of Hope, which was opened to assist and protect victims of human trafficking, leads anti-trafficking efforts in the borderland and is partnering with law enforcement and local nonprofits in the region.

The center has seen an average of 45 to 50 human trafficking cases monthly this year so far, compared to about 211 they reported last year.

“People are unaware that trafficking exists in our community,” said Nicole Schiff. “People often confuse Smuggling and Human Trafficking because of our proximity to the border but it’s important to note the majority of the cases we work involve U.S. Citizens being trafficked by U.S. Citizens,” said Executive Director Nicole Schiff.

Schiff has been the head of the center for nearly six years now and says the most important part of her job is to show the differences between smuggling and trafficking in El Paso.

These are some examples of human trafficking cases they have responded to:

Child exploitation

Online exploitation

“People aren’t aware that that’s happening in our community, so when I’m able to give them that information and help them become more aware, I think that’s the best part of my job,” said Schiff.

“Human trafficking is a crime committed against a person. This is important to note because it is involuntary, exploitation-based, and does not require a person to be moved across a border or state lines, although it can involve foreign nationals. Only a small percentage of the work we do involve victims coming into the country who are working excessive hours and they’re not getting paid, or their documents are being held against them, or promised that they’ll get help with the documents, and then they don’t get anything,” she added. 

Human trafficking could be involuntary, exploitation-based, no border crossing required, it can involve citizens or foreign nationals, lucrative, illicit and it also involves an organized crime network.

“There have been people for sure that have been smuggled into the country or come in and in the process were trafficked, so we have served individuals from Cuba, Venezuela, we’ve had both males and females and they end up being offered a job,” Schiff said.

“Smuggling, in contrast, is a crime against the state which generally involves transportation, importation, exportation, or concealment of goods, money, or people across a border in violation of the law, often avoiding customs duties, taxes, immigration controls, or other government regulations,” she added. 

The Center of Hope also refers people to legal services, but it does not offer them.

The average age of the Center’s clients is 14; therefore, they primarily serve young people.

Currently, they have three full-time case managers dedicated to young people, compared to just one for adults, and there has been a significant increase in online exploitation since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We primarily see cases involving adults engaging with youth online, or grooming youth to be in romantic or sexual relationships. Some examples of this have been cases of local news coverage of 14-year-olds with a 35-year-old professional in the education system like a coach or teacher. We’ve also seen cases where Fort Bliss soldiers are with 13 or 14-year-old girls,” Schiff added.    

For more information on how the center can help you, you can click here.

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — El Paso Electric’s proposal to build a new natural gas power plant to serve the planned Meta data center started a hearing Wednesday and will continue Thursday.

The utility proposed a natural gas plant to support the data center in Northeast El Paso.

Wednesday, the hearing started and the state administrative hearings office listened to testimony.

EPE said the plant will cost almost $500 million, but won’t impact rate payers.

The city opposed the plant and has been a drive force for the hearing taking place.

Click here to follow the original article.

Rishi Oza

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A jury awarded $104 million in a wrongful death case against a national trucking company, Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT Services LLC), after one of its drivers crashed and killed El Pasoan Orlando Robles, Tawney, Acosta and Chaparro P.C. said Wednesday.

In a news release, TAC said the crash happened on the I-40 in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma.

Juan Garcia, the truck’s driver and company trainer, reportedly fell asleep while driving, drifted off the road and crashed into a box truck with its emergency lights flashing on the shoulder, TAC said. This proves to be what occured in a newly released video obtained by ABC 7.

The crash destroyed the sleeper compartment where and killed Robles while he was sleeping, according to TAC.

TAC said Alejandro Acosta III, one of the attorneys, cross-examined MVT’s national chief safety officer.

According to TAC, the executive said “you don’t need sleep to rest” because company policies didn’t specifically require drivers to sleep before driving a commercial vehicle.

The jury awarded $20 million in compensatory damages and $7.5 million in punitive damages to Robles’ son, TAC said.

“The verdict recognizes this tragedy should never have happened,” said Acosta, the attorney for Orlando’s son. “Professional truck drivers and trucking companies have a responsibility to keep fatigued drivers off the road. When that responsibility is ignored, families pay the price. While no verdict can bring back Orlando, today’s decision holds those responsible accountable.”

TAC represented Robles’ son, who was 7 years old when his father died. They intervened in the case on behalf through his mother. Other family members, including Robles’ wife, his estate, mother and daughters were represented separately.

This week will mark Robles’ son’s 13th birthday, according to TAC.

ABC-7 reached out to the lead attorney for comment.

A news conference with Glasheen, Valles and Inderman Injury Lawyers, which represented Robles’ spouse, will take place Thursday.

ABC-7 reached out to Mesilla Valley Transportation Wednesday. It told ABC-7 it has no comment, and will not comment further.

Friday, MVT sent ABC-7 the following statement:

“We want to take a moment to address the recent jury verdict concerning the tragic accident involving two of our drivers. Our hearts continue to go out to the families affected by this tragic accident. This loss has had a profound impact on all of us. While we respect the judicial process, we are evaluating our appellate options.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Andrew J. Polk

RUIDOSO, N.M. (KVIA) — It’s been two years since wildfires scorched areas surrounding the Village of Ruidoso high in the Sierra Blanca mountains. Just a year ago this week, heavy rains on those burned areas sent runoff rushing down the Rio Ruidoso — causing deadly flash flooding.

Three people died, including two children.

Flooding also caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.

ABC-7’s Andrew J. Polk went back to some of the hardest-hit areas and talked with community members — including Ruidoso’s mayor — and business owners about their recovery, and what it will take to build up Ruidoso’s resilience.

Tune in Thursday for ABC-7 at 5, 6, and 10 p.m. to hear from those impacted and what they hope happens next for the region.

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

UPDATE (July 17, 2026): The Office of the Medical Investigator identified the human remains as 74-year-old Henry Padilla, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

The investigation into the case is ongoing. The sheriff’s office said it’s working with the medical investigator to identify the circumstances surrounding Padilla’s death.

Anyone with information that could help investigators can contact the sheriff’s office at 575-648-2341 and ask to speak with Detective Bryce Bailey, the sheriff’s office said.

RUIDOSO, N.M. (KVIA) — The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday it responded to a report of human remains found in Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico.

A crew cleaning trees and brush found the remains of what appeared to be a man in the “advanced stage of decomposition,” according to a Facebook post by the sheriff’s office. It happened in a heavily-wooded area near Pine Springs Road.

The remains went to the Office of the Medical Investigator for an autopsy to find the remains’ identity, cause and manner of death.

The sheriff’s office said it took primary jurisdiction of the matter and started investigating after the Ruidoso Downs Police Department asked it to.

Sheriff Michael Wood said anyone with information about the remains should call the sheriff’s office at 575-648-2341 and ask for Detective Bryce Bailey.

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — A Las Cruces teenager received a nine-year federal prison sentence for shooting and paralyzing an 18-year-old victim during a robbery, the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Mexico said Wednesday.

A news release said in February 2022, Matthew James Aguilar and two other people planned to meet the victim to buy marijuana. Aguilar was 16 years old at the time.

During the transaction, Aguilar and the others decided to rob instead of pay the victim. As the victim tried to drive away, Aguilar shot a gun into the passenger side of the victim’s vehicle, officials said.

One of the bullets hit the victim in the back — collapsing his lung and permanently paralyzing him, officials said.

Officials said the victim has quadriplegia, which is paralysis affecting all four limbs of the body and the torso.

After the shooting, Aguilar denied involvement when law enforcement interviewed him, the news release said. Investigators later found social media messages where Aguilar admitted he shot the victim while trying to rob him. He also said he admitted to it during jail calls.

Aguilar was first charged as a juvenile but later agreed to be prosecuted and sentenced as an adult, according to the news release. He pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by threats and violence.

After his prison release, he’ll be subject to three years of supervised release.

Click here to follow the original article.

Nina Gallegos

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — The Las Cruces museum system is launching Grief Cafes, which are free community gatherings designed to provide a safe space for individuals to share their emotional experiences.

The gatherings are intended to help participants connect with others and reduce feelings of isolation. The museum system is expanding the program in observance of National Grief Awareness Day in August, according to organizers.

The Grief Cafes are not therapy or counseling sessions, but rather an open environment where people can discuss loss. This includes not only death-related grief but also significant life changes, such as moving, starting a new job or other major transitions that can evoke feelings of grief.

Galen Skibyak, a visitor experience curator for the Las Cruces museum system, described the program as “a space where anybody can kind of come and share their emotional experiences, share their stories, share their feelings with others.”

Skibyak said the cafes are “just kind of a space that’s safe for everybody to kind of come and share whatever they need to.”

The museum system previously offered similar Death Cafes two years ago for Dia de los Muertos. The events were popular and Skibyak says attendees asked for more similar events.

Emilia Linley, museum manager for visitor experience for the Las Cruces museum system, explained the purpose of the cafes.

“We want to make not only the museums a safe space for people, but just kind of Las Cruces, a generally safe and welcoming space for anybody who needs to express their emotions and to help people find other people that are feeling the same way and really make connections with each other,” Linley said.

Linley said the Grief Cafes will be held in a similar format.

“Our grief cafes are going to be held similarly. We will not necessarily have a death doula on site every evening,” Linley said. “But it will just be an open space where people can talk about grief in an environment without judgment, without any form of consulting or counseling or anything of that nature.”

The Grief Cafes begin in July and are scheduled for the third Tuesday of every month. In observance of National Grief Awareness Day, three additional Grief Cafe sessions will be held in August, according to organizers.

“That’s the most important thing about these grief cafes, is for people to leave knowing that they’re not alone,” she said.

Linley distinguished the cafes from professional counseling.

“Counseling is a place where you’re going to be given tools and things to work on in order to help ameliorate the grief in a way that is constructive. But it is not a space where you’re going to receive counseling.”

Linley also offered advice for supporting loved ones experiencing grief.

“Most people don’t want to hear you have to be better by a certain time frame. There is no time limit on grief,” Linley said. “Grief will come and go. It will ebb and flow.”

She suggested treating grieving loved ones like “houseplants,” making sure they get “some water and some sunshine, but otherwise just allowing that space.”

In addition to the Grief Cafes, a Grief and Safety Fair is scheduled at the Railroad Museum on Aug. 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

More information about events and programs is available on the Las Cruces museum system’s Facebook and Instagram pages under “LC museums.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — The Las Cruces area can expect near triple-digit temperatures this weekend, and the city opened cooling stations to help those who need a break from the heat.

Through July 11, these locations will have free air conditioning:

Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, 200 E. Picacho Ave.

9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Closed Sunday

Mesilla Valley Intermodal Transit Terminal, 300 W. Lohman Ave.

6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday

Closed Sunday

Meerscheidt Recreation Center, 1600 E. Hadley Ave.

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday

Closed Sunday

The building is under construction but will have designated cooling areas.

Some Las Cruces senior centers will serve as cooling spaces. These buildings are open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They’re closed Saturday and Sunday.

Frank O’Brien Papen Community Center, 304 W. Bell Ave.

Henry R. Benavidez Community Center, 1045 McClure Rd.

Munson Center, 975 S. Mesquite St.

Click here to follow the original article.