Thread: El Paso, TX news full of crimes

Checked the headlines of the El Paso, TX Times and was amazed at how much crime appears to be in that area. This is all in today's paper.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/

Article Launched: 9/18/2006 09:44 PM


Ex-guard arrested in Juárez prison escape (9:50 p.m.)

By Louie Gilot / El Paso Times
El Paso Times

A former guard at the Cereso prison in Juárez was arrested Monday for allegedly giving a guard uniform to an inmate who escaped Sunday, Juárez police said.
Ramón Soto Rey, 39, was arrested at his Juárez home. Witnesses had seen Soto escort inmate Eleazar Cervantes Gardea, 27, out of the prison through the parking lot, police said.

Cervantes allegedly organized a prison fight that injured 15 inmates in order to distract guards, police said. He allegedly got on a bus headed south of the city. He had been serving 40 years for murder.

Soto had been fired from the Cereso because he offered protection to members of the gang Mexicles inside the prison, the Cereso director José Grajeda Almeraz said.

Six inmates were stabbed in the fight and transported to Juárez General Hospital with severe injuries.

The injured inmates are Martín Guadalupe García Zamora, 45; José Angel Aguilar Cháirez, 33; Jorge Armando Rayos Rayos, 28; Iván Alejandro Torres Hernández, 20; José Carlos Mares, 32, and José Roberto Hernández, 21.


Article Launched: 9/18/2006 06:33 PM


Drug smuggling trial gets underway (6:23 p.m.)

Louie Gilot / El Paso Times
El Paso Times

An Indiana man who brought his mother along on a trip to bring drug money to Juárez drug smugglers last year testified in court today at the smugglers wined and dined him and killed his mother.
Ricardo Sepulveda is a witness in a major drug case winding down in El Paso federal court this week.

The defendants, Hector Leonel Marquez Ramos, his sister-in-law Diana Marquez, who is a former Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officer and Horacio Fernandez, an associate, are accused of being part of a Juárez-El Paso group that conspired to import marijuana in the upper Midwest, the East and the Northeast of the United States and launder drug money for years.

Hector Marquez, a resident alien living in El Paso, is also accused of conspiring to kill Maria Elidia Liuzza, 47, in February 2005 in the Juárez house of his brother, Mario Marquez, who is on the run.

Hector Marquez testified Monday on the murder count only and prosecutors were not allowed to ask him about the drug charges. He denied any involvement in Liuzza's killing, saying she was still alive when he left his brother's house Feb. 15, 2005.

Monday, Sepulveda read from a handwritten statement he made last year when he reached out to U.S. authorities for help. He said he was asked to carry to Mexico $500,000 in bundles hidden in the doors and console of his truck -a job for which he was to be paid $35,000.

He asked his mother if she wanted to go along.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Luis Acosta said Liuzza had herself transported money for Mario Marquez at least once in the past.

Once in Juárez, several members of the Marquez family took Sepulveda and his mother to dinner, Sepulveda said. The next morning, Hector Marquez, who was visiting his brother, took Sepulveda and his mother to breakfast. Marquez said Liuzza did not look well.

Back at Mario Marquez's house, Liuzza went inside and Hector Marquez asked Sepulveda to come to the garage to see damage on a car from an accident. Sepulveda said he didn't see any damage to the car and grew suspicious. He said he headed for the house.

“I open the door and saw my mother lying down, stomach down,” with an associate named Daniel Martinez standing over her, Sepulveda said. “She sounded like she was in pain.”

Sepulveda said he ran away, hitched a ride to a taxi stand and paid a taxi driver with a gold ring to take him to the Bridge of the Americas where he asked U.S. Customs for help.

Officials said Liuzza had been choked and beaten to death. Martinez, who goes by the nickname Pee Wee, is on the run. Assistant U.S. Attorney Acosta said a witness to the killing was also kidnapped but it wasn't clear Monday what happened to that person.



Article Launched: 9/18/2006 05:37 PM


Police arrest man for indecency with a child (5:31 p.m.)

Times staff report
El Paso Times

Police have arrested Ruben Favela, 63, of the 4400 block of Sunrise, for indecency with a child after he allegedly exposed himself to a 12-year old girl at a Northeast park on Sunday, police spokesman Javier Sambrano said.
Favela also allegedly made some inappropriate comments to the child.

The child immediately ran away from the Favela and called police.

Favela was arrested and booked into the El Paso County Jail under a $10,000 dollar bond. Sambrano said Favela is believed to have been involved in other similar type incidents and investigators are asking anyone that may have been a victim to call Crime Against Children detectives at 838-0049 or 298-9600.


Article Launched: 9/18/2006 04:35 PM


Police ID suspect in bank robberies (4:22 p.m.)

Times staff report
El Paso Times

Police and the FBI are looking for 27-year old Jesus Antonio Hernandez of El Paso as the suspect involved in the city's last three bank robberies.
Hernandez was convicted last month of robbing the Mountain Star Federal Credit Union in February and the El Paso Employees Federal Credit Union in December.

Officials suspect he robbed the same two banks today in addition to robbing the Capital Savings Bank last week. Hernandez is described as a Hispanic male, 6 feet tall, 200 pounds, light complexion, brown hair, brown eyes and acne scars on his face.

The suspect was last seen driving a light brown or gold four-door 1995 Ford Escort LX with Texas plates 365 GPW.

At approximately 10:24 a.m. today, Hernandez walked into the El Paso Employees Federal Credit Union, 2208 N. Oregon, and approached one the tellers and demanded money, police spokesman Javier Sambrano said.

Hernandez then fled the scene to the Mountain Star Federal Credit, 2229 E. Yandell, and walked into that location and again approached the tellers and demanded money, Sambrano said.

Hernandez is also suspected of robbing the Capital Savings Bank at 8700 Montana last week, Sambrano said.

No weapons were displayed in either incident and nobody was hurt.

Hernandez was wearing a dark blue polo type shirt (golf shirt) with an unknown type logo on the left breast area and blue jeans.


Article Launched: 9/18/2006 12:43 PM


Man arrested in connection with assault (12:44 p.m.)

Times staff report
El Paso Times

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office arrested a man today after another man was allegedly assaulted while sleeping in his pickup truck.
Enrique Velasquez was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He remains in jail under a $10,000 bond.

The alleged victim was sleeping in his truck at about 2:15 a.m. today at the Flying J Truck Stop in Horizon City when Velasquez opened the door to the victim's vehicle and assaulted him with an unknown object, the sheriff's office said. The victim was able to fight off his attacker and summon help. The assailant fled in a red pickup truck.

Sheriff deputies searched the area, and about 3 a.m. found a truck in the 100 block of Peyton that matched the description. Deputies found Velasquez in a nearby residence


Article Launched: 9/18/2006 12:27 PM


Las Cruces PD sets up tip line for threats (12:22 p.m.)

Times staff report
El Paso Times

The Las Cruces Police Department has set up a tip line for the community to report suspicious activity related to the recent threats made against Las Cruces residents.
The phone number is 505-635-9934.

Las Cruces city officials and the Las Cruces Sun-News received letters last week from a person threatening to shoot residents at random if demands for a substantial amount of money were not met.


Article Launched: 9/18/2006 11:09 AM


2 banks robbed this morning (11:08 a.m.)

Tammy Fonce-Olivas / El Paso Times
El Paso Times

Two banks, one on the West Side and the other in Central El Paso, were robbed this morning, El Paso Police Department spokeswoman Detective Elizabeth Molina said.
At about 10:20 a.m., police received a call about a robbery at the El Paso Employees Federal Credit Union, at 2208 N. Oregon Street. About 30 minutes later, police received another call about a robbery at the Mountain Star Federal Credit Union, at 2229 E. Yandell Drive, Molina said.

She said it was too early in the investigation to tell if the robberies were committed by the same suspect. Additional details about the robberies were not immediately available.

Molina also said it was not yet known if the robberies today are linked to the robbery at the Capital Savings Bank at 8700 Montana Ave. on Sept. 14. The suspect of the robbery at the Capital Savings Bank has not been arrested.

The suspect of the East Side robbery was described by police as a Hispanic male, 6-foot, 200 to 220 pounds with slick black hair. He was last seen wearing a Polo-type yellow shirt with blue sleeves and dark jeans. The shirt had some type of logo. Police would not disclose how much money the robber took.

Are any of these folks illegal immigrants? There is no mention in the articles. Of course I shouldn't be surprised considering El Paso is a sanctuary city!

Universtiy Texas El Paso study in March 2006 said, 51% of the population is illegal aliens.

Dixie