Las Cruces Police, law enforcement agencies to conduct 2025 Operation Not in Vain
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Las Cruces Police Department, along with several local and federal law enforcement agencies, will collaborate on the 2025 edition of Operation Not in Vain, a months-long crime project in memory of fallen officer Jonah Hernandez.
The operation will begin on Monday, April 28, and is anticipated to run through August, according to Las Cruces Police.
According to the police department, Hernandez was killed in the line of duty on Feb. 11 of last year after responding to a trespassing call.
Las Cruces Police officer stabbed, killed in line of duty
Hernandez was from El Paso and served two years with the Las Cruces Police Department.
'Our first Not in Vain operation was extremely successful and underscored the importance of collaboration among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies,' Jeremy Story, chief of the Las Cruces Police Department, said. 'This year, we're looking to refine those collaborations, continue pursuing initiatives that make Las Cruces a safer city and keep the memory of Jonah alive in the city he served.'
According to Las Cruces Police, the initial operation generated 127 felony arrests, 114 misdemeanor arrests, 89 criminal citations and over 1,200 traffic citations.
LCPD: Operation 'Not in Vain' records over 300 arrests, 1200 citations
'The men and women of the Las Cruces Police Department have committed to ensure that Hernandez's service to the community be remembered,' Las Cruces Police said.
According to the department, for the 2025 operation, law enforcement personnel will concentrate on increasing uniformed presence in violent crime hot spots throughout Las Cruces with a focus on frequent offenders and those identified as drivers of violent crime in the community.
Operation Not in Vain will utilize law enforcement resources from the Las Cruces Police Department, New Mexico State Police, the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office, the Third Judicial District Attorney's Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office and several other federal agencies.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CBP: Man charged with illegal entry on train; officials warn of dangers of doing so
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A Mexican national man was recently arrested for attempting to enter the U.S. without inspection on a train via the Union Pacific Railway, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) El Paso Field Office is warning about the dangers of doing so. CBP said that at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 6, anomalies were observed during a nonintrusive inspection via the vehicle and cargo inspection system on a northbound train. A physical inspection led to the discovery and removal of one undocumented migrant concealed in a hollow space at the end of an empty hopper, CBP said. CBP said the undocumented migrant was taken into custody, and records checks revealed that he had a prior immigration arrest and deportation. He was charged with illegal entry after removal. 'Attempting to enter the United States without inspection via a cargo train is not only illegal, but it is also very dangerous,' CBP El Paso Field Office assistant director for border security, Samuel Cleaves, said. 'Aliens attempting to board moving trains sometimes slip and have limbs severed. As temperatures rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the risk of death from heat stroke or dehydration increases. Also, cargo can shift and injure or trap aliens. Finally, when discovered, the alien will face certain consequences for illegally entering the United States under Title 8 of the U.S. Code. It is not worth the risk.' CBP said they apprehended 143 people attempting to enter the U.S. without inspection in FY2024. So far in FY2025, 43 people have been apprehended trying to make illegal entry on trains. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
5 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Disgraced pastor turns down year offer and now faces a jury, life in prison
Eric Readon, a controversial Miami Gardens pastor arrested three years ago on charges of stealing an elderly man's Northwest Miami-Dade home, turned down a plea deal from the state Wednesday and now could spend the rest of his life in prison. By turning down the state's offer of a year in prison and a decade of probation, Readon, 49, could end up behind bars from anywhere between six years to more than six decades, for the crimes he is accused of committing. Before Readon decided to leave his fate in jurors' hands, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Christine Hernandez warned the pastor of the vast gulf between the state's offer and a guilty verdict. 'This is your life,' Hernandez said. 'It's a decision you have to make with the consultation of your lawyer.' Readon, who has been out of jail since his February 2022 arrest, quickly left the court hearing, his attorney at his side. Hernandez set a trial date for July 7. The pastor is accused of swindling retiree Edward Fuller out of his $267,000 home on Northwest 19th Avenue. The scheme, state prosecutors said, involved Readon guaranteeing a loan to refurbish the home in exchange for the senior signing over the deed to the property and paying Readon a $15,000 fee. Readon is facing charges of exploitation of an elderly or disabled person, organized scheme to defraud, conspiracy to commit organized scheme to defraud, theft from a person 65 years or older, and grand theft. The disgraced pastor — who court records show served probation for strong-armed robbery and grand theft over two decades ago — led New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church in Northwest Miami-Dade. He made a name for himself fighting gun violence, often showing up at rallies and seen comforting grieving family members. A call to the church Wednesday said the number had been disconnected. According to WPLG-Channel 10, Readon reached a plea deal last month with the Broward State Attorney's Office over allegations that he also fraudulently stole properties in Davie and Lauderdale Lakes. The Davie property was worth $1.7 million. As part of the deal in which he avoided admitting guilt but agreed to a punishment, Readon paid one of the property owners $150,000 and the other $46,500. He also agreed to complete community control, five years of probation, and to repay all restitution before he can be considered for early termination of probation. Both victims won back their properties after legal battles. Readon was also arrested in April in Pembroke Pines. Charging documents say he used false paperwork in a wire transfer when he bought a Range Rover from Miami's Braman Motors. The case was later closed. Though the state prosecutor indicated Wednesday that if Readon didn't agree to the plea offer, the stolen vehicle charge could resurface.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
DA says man had child porn on social media accounts
GREENE TOWNSHIP, PIKE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The Pike County District Attorney says a man has been charged with the possession of child sexual abuse materials located on his social media accounts. According to the Pike County District Attorney's Office, 26-year-old Johnny Hernandez admitted to viewing child porn on his social media accounts, Instagram and Kik. Man shot in forehead during road rage incident, DA says Detectives at the district attorney's office received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that child sexual abuse material had been sent via direct message to Hernandez. Hernandez's bail was set at $75,000 and is scheduled to appear in Pike County Central Court on June 17. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
