Latest news with #Hurtado
Hamilton Spectator
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
There's a good coach behind every great defensive catcher. Ask the Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk
Alejandro Kirk is headed back to the all-star game after a two-year absence, having finally put every facet of his game together. He came to the Blue Jays as a raw, 21-year-old, bat-to-ball savant with a lot of work to do behind the plate and slugged his way to the midsummer classic in 2022, just his second full season in the majors. The next two years, though, the Mexican native transformed into a light-hitting defensive stud, the best catcher in the game at turning balls into strikes and adept at blocking pitches in the dirt. This year, he has added a killer throwing arm and the bat is back . The package is complete. But he needed help to get there. The Blue Jays confirmed Clancy's death in a social media post Monday. A cause of death was not After a last-place finish in 2024, a season in which Kirk posted full-season career lows in home runs, walks, on-base percentage and OPS, the catcher took six weeks off and then reported to the Jays' player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., in mid-November for an intense month of work with bullpen catcher and coach Luis Hurtado. 'We were working on defence,' Hurtado said in an interview that can be heard on the July 10 episode of 'Deep Left Field,' the Star's baseball podcast . 'We were working on hitting, we were doing a lot of stuff.' Hurtado won't take credit for Kirk's evolution into the game's best defensive catcher, but there's no question the former minor-league manager had a lot to do with it. '(Kirk is) a guy that I work with every day,' Hurtado said. 'I've been working with him since 2022 and, since then, he's been having great defensive seasons and he's one of the best catchers in Major League Baseball right now. He's really dedicated to his routines, he's really smart, he works hard and right now we're seeing the results of all the hard work that he's been putting in.' The transformation behind the plate has been astounding. 'I remember in 2020 him coming up,' said manager John Schneider, who was a major-league coach without portfolio at the time. 'We were literally writing down on his wristband what (pitches) the pitchers threw.' Working intensely with Hurtado, in season and out, the fast-learning Kik became great at framing pitches and blocking of balls in the dirt. But he knew he needed to improve his throwing. 'I worked on my arm, strengthening my arm (in the off-season),' Kirk said, through club translator Hector Lebron. 'That was one of the things I wanted to get better on. Of course, you've got to work with the timing, with the pitcher, holding the runners. You've got to get all that together. That allows me to get more runners.' Hurtado had a willing pupil. Toronto's former ace averaged 94.2 m.p.h. on his fastball, an increase from the 93.3 he averaged 'We put our attention on the little details behind the plate,' Hurtado said. 'How can we be better at framing? How can we develop his arm strength, which (has been) our main goal since 2023. You can see the results right now; he's one of the top catchers throwing guys out in the big leagues. 'It's just him dedicated to his work, dedicated to his routines and always positive. He's a fearless guy, a calm guy who always wants to get better and wants to help the team win.' The numbers back up the claim. Kirk is leading all major-league catchers in the Statcast defensive metrics of fielding run value, framing runs and blocks above average, and he is fourth in caught stealing above average. While Hurtado hasn't had as much of a hand in the breakout performance of another of the Jays' budding stars, he managed Addison Barger on his way up through the system, both in rookie ball in Bluefield, W.V., in 2019 and in Dunedin, which was then the Jays' high-A affiliate, in 2021. And even then, he saw this coming. 'No matter what was happening in an at-bat, he always had the mindset to swing hard,' said Hurtado, for whom Barger hit 20 home runs in 104 games over those two seasons. 'I saw some flashes in 2021, when he hit for the cycle.' It was more than just a cycle. Barger went 5-for-5 against the Tampa Tarpons, a Yankees affiliate, in a May 28 game, with a single, a double, a triple, two home runs and seven RBIs in a 14-7 Blue Jays win. Future big-leaguer Randy Vazquez started for Tampa. It's been 34 years since Toronto last hosted a Midsummer Classic, and a report suggests that the 'It was one of the best games I've ever seen in the minor leagues,' Hurtado said. 'And that was his first full season. He finished that year with 80 RBIs (in 91 games), so we know (it's in there) and I saw this kind of success was going to come sooner or later.' Hurtado might only be working with the pitchers and catchers now, but he's also getting to enjoy some of the kids he managed on the way up, like Davis Schneider and Leo Jimenez along with Barger, having success at the highest level. Kirk is going to his second all-star game, thanks in part to Hurtado's help. Barger may not be far behind.
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
'My dad isn't a criminal': Facing charges, scared detainees choose fast-track deportation
Defendants are agreeing not to challenge their case because of fears of more jail time or being deported to a country that is not their own. TALLAHASSEE, Florida ‒ In a cold courtroom in downtown, Isabela Hurtado sat in a wooden pew. It had been over a month since she last saw her father. On May 29, she watched him get ready for work at a construction site near the capital city's CollegeTown. When she next saw him, on July 2, he was in an orange jumpsuit, shackled by the hands and ankles, waiting to see a federal judge. "All I wanted to do in that moment was cry, but I had to contain myself," Hurtado, 19, said. She looked at her dad, Juan Hurtado Solano, seated next to his public defender. He turned around and smiled. Minutes later, he pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States, a federal crime with a potential punishment of up to two years in prison and $250,000 fine. While entering the country without the proper documentation is a misdemeanor, reentering the United States after already being deported is a federal felony, according to U.S. Code 1326, Reentry of Illegal Aliens. Amid President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, more people are being charged for illegal reentry into the United States. And many of those defendants are pleading guilty and agreeing not to challenge their case or removal because of fears of getting stuck in the immigration system, spending more time in detention or being deported to a country that is not their own. Hurtado's father didn't make the decision lightly. He spoke to his wife and kids. Ultimately, Hurtado said it was the best-case scenario. "If you're just going to get sent back regardless, let's just speed up with the process, because I wouldn't want my dad to sit there any longer anyway," Hurtado said, adding she would prefer to FaceTime him while he's in Mexico rather than the alternative. Rise in illegal reentry prosecutions across U.S. In February, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo to all department employees entitled: "General Policy Regarding Charging, Plea Negotiations, and Sentencing." "The Department of Justice shall use all available criminal statutes to combat the flood of illegal immigration that took place over the last four years, and to continue to support the Department of Homeland Security's immigration and removal initiatives," the memo states. The number of immigration prosecutions in the United States jumped in March of this year. U.S. Attorneys charged 4,550 defendants with immigration offenses in U.S. District Courts in March, up 36.6 percent over February when 3,332 defendants were charged, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), which tracks immigration data. According to TRAC, in the past, illegal reentry was often pled down to illegal entry, which has a mandatory maximum sentence of six months and up to a $250 fine. The plea agreements, also known as "fast-track" programs, were developed to handle the large number of immigration cases in states along the southern border in the 1990s. A former U.S. deputy attorney general once wrote the program was created for defendants who promptly agreed to participate to save the government significant and scarce resources that could be used to prosecute other defendants. "It's common for someone to plead guilty to a crime to try to avoid detention, especially long-term detention, but they often don't realize that doing so has negative long-term consequences that would likely preclude them from getting a benefit for immigration for the future," said immigration expert Elizabeth Ricci. According to the American Immigration Council, there are different reasons why a defendant would choose to plead guilty to the entry-related offense. "These can include a lack of understanding of potential defenses against a charge (and lack of time to discuss such defenses with counsel prior to a group hearing); the prospect of shorter sentences; or misunderstanding the terms or consequences of a plea agreement," according to a council report. Recently, many defendants and their families say they hope pleading guilty will mean their cases progress much faster. Reports of inhumane conditions at Alligator Alcatraz and other detention centers and long wait times to see judges create a distressing situation for immigrants. "(Immigration detention centers) are overcrowded, people are sleeping in the hallway, people are being denied medicine," Ricci said. "I tell clients frequently that they may have to put up for very uncomfortable conditions for days or weeks if it means staying here for long-term, often people are so uncomfortable they aren't willing to stick it out and are wiling to leave and forfeit living in the United States." "It's about making people scared," she added. The threat of a $250,000 fine really worried Hurtado "There's no way I could pay that money, or even try to round up the money," Hurtado said. "We don't have people with that type of money. That's so unreasonable … most immigrant families don't have much money." 'My dad isn't a criminal' The USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida spoke to other family members of those incarcerated and charged with illegal reentry. They say their loved ones are being held in the same area as hardened criminals and drug dealers. "These are mostly decent people whose only crime is entering the United States after being deported, but otherwise, immigration violations are civil, not criminal," Ricci said. The day federal agents raided Hurtado's father's construction site, they also detained her two uncles. In three hours, Hurtado lost three family members. While her father and uncle are at a federal detention center, her other uncle is still in ICE custody in Texas. She doesn't know exactly where. Even if her dad and uncle tell their family members not to worry, her mother and aunt hear the news about Alligator Alcatraz and are stressed. "(My mom) just wants to get this done as soon as possible, because it's scary," Hurtado said. Her 3-year-old brother hasn't been able to fall sleep well since her father was detained. The two used to fall asleep together – her father after a long day of work, her brother after a long day being a toddler. They would go to bed before anyone else in the house. Hurtado's father doesn't have a court date yet. But her uncle was to be sentenced July 10. "My dad isn't a criminal," Hurtado said. "My dad is literally a person who works every day, goes home, takes care of family, and that's that." Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@
Eater
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Crawl Some of Dallas's Best Barbecue and Tacos With a Chef From a Michelin-Starred Restaurant
French- and Italian-influenced Mamani is one of Dallas's most anticipated restaurant openings of the year, in large part because chef Christophe De Lellis left his role as executive chef at Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas to open it and take a partner role in the Feels Like Home hospitality group, started by Brandon and Henry Cohanim (Namo, Bar Colette). De Lellis moved to Dallas about a year ago, and for a time took over the kitchen at Bar Colette. With his family, he moved into a house in the Lakewood area and has been eating his way through Dallas, learning to love two of the major food groups: barbecue (he says Terry Black's is his favorite so far) and tacos (he goes for Resident Taqueria). De Lellis joined Eater to visit a few favorite local haunts he hadn't tried yet and talk about the culture clash of going from Europe to Vegas to Texas, his thoughts on consomme (and consomé), and hot tips for shaking a good espresso martini. Hurtado Barbecue Our first stop is the newest location of Hurdato Barbecue in the Dallas Farmers Market in Uptown, where we order the El Jefe, which has one third of a pound each of brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs, turkey, burnt ends, and sausage. We add on sides of Mexican street corn, and De Lellis insists on a vegetable with actual fiber in it, so we also get the creamy red slaw. It was a bit of a negotiation to find a barbecue spot to visit with De Lellis because he'd already visited several that I initially suggested. He has truly been busy learning about Texas barbecue. The barbecue destinations have become the first places he takes visiting friends and family out to eat. 'I was surprised that in Las Vegas on the Strip there isn't barbecue. There are tourists from all over the world, and for most of them that equals American food. I never had barbecue until I moved to Texas,' he says, adding that all the Europeans he's taken to eat barbecue have loved it. This chef knows barbecue. From the appearance of the plate, De Lellis's expectations were high for the smoked turkey, but the pulled pork ended up being his favorite bite. 'I love all braised meats, shredded meats. In restaurants or for myself I like to cook beef cheeks and oxtail, and it reminds me of that,' he says. The pork rub and sauce are so flavorful that they overpower the rest of the tray. He suggests it would be good on a Cubano sandwich, and doesn't immediately shut down the idea of a Hurtado collaboration with Mamani, so we'll be looking out for it. The one thing that stumps him on the platter is the chile-dusted Mexican corn, Hurtado's take on traditional elote. This was the moment that the former chef from a three-Michelin-starred kitchen had the concept of taco seasoning, a blend of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder, explained to him by a Texan. Unlike the rest of us, he probably won't be picking up a jar in the grocery store. De Lellis will make his own. 'I get the cumin a lot, which is good because it brings a freshness to all the cheese and fat, almost cutting it,' he says. De Lellis notes that Hurtado and Terry Blacks do good sides, a small detail he feels is significant. 'For me, it is the small details,' he says. 'I judge the sides, because you can see the attention to detail. At most of the places you go, people don't know how to cook green beans and serve them undercooked, which I think is disgusting. Small details show how much care is taken every step of the way.' De Lellis says he has smoked meats before but not to make barbecue. 'I would love to learn and understand the craft from a pitmaster around here,' he tells me, noting that even in a French fine dining menu there may be some element of barbecue technique that he could incorporate. Chilangos Tacos The next stop is for birria tacos at Chilangos Tacos on Ross Avenue. De Lellis has already tried tacos, but has had no exposure to birria, so it's on. The initiated know this Old East Dallas location looks like your average strip mall spot from the parking lot, but inside is a party marked by a trompo, bright colors, and people queuing up for dripping, red-stained quesabirria tacos. We have to fight to get a little table after ordering a quesabirria platter. 'It does remind me of the taco joint I used to go to in Vegas, Tacos El Gordo,' he says, noting those were likely the first tacos he ever had, not long after he arrived in 2010. Chilangos never disappoints. Courtney E. Smith 'They do traditional tacos and it makes you feel like you're in Mexico.' He misses the Latin cooks he worked alongside in the kitchen in Vegas, who made their food for family meals, which he says was always the best. 'Mr. Robuchon loved Mexican food, and he would always ask the cooks to make it for him,' De Lellis says. 'I love the way Mexicans approach food, how they season it, even the beautiful ingredients they use.' When the birria hits the table (well, really when De Lellis politely picks it up after our order is called), he eyeballs the consomé and asks how we eat the spread. I tell him to sprinkle the onion and cilantro mix onto the quesabirria tacos and then dip them into the fatty broth made with meat drippings. After the first bite, he grabs the cup of consomé to try it. 'I love consomme,' he says, adding that it's the 'heart and soul' of his cooking, like a quintessential French chef would. 'When I did tasting menus back in Vegas, and before dessert I served a shot of consomme to the guests, something fresh like lemongrass with lime with chicken. It feels good after a heavy meal and cleans your palate.' Christophe De Lellis sits down for his first experience with birria. Courtney E. Smith This consomé, obviously, is not the same, he notes, but it does require the same building blocks. 'Whatever stock or broth you make, it is the most important thing,' he says. 'I prefer using three to five ingredients. That's why I love Mexican food. Robuchon told me this quote and I say it all the time and live by it: 'It is easy to make it complicated, but complicated to make it simple.'' Before we dive into the tacos, De Lellis tells me he is 50/50 on preferring flour tortillas over corn, but after we tear through the birria, he expresses a deeper appreciation for Chilango's crispy, savory corn tortillas. In fact, he's ready to not only sing its praises but to call Chilango's quesabirria one of his favorite tacos he has had in the country. Saint Valentine Finishing strong with a cocktail at Saint Valentine. Courtney E. Smith De Lellis orders the Sazerac and proclaims the fried olives a 'good snack.' I tell him that the Italian grocery store, which is kitty-corner from the bar, is one of the beloved spaces in town for dry goods, imported oils and vinegars, and a killer sandwich shop. Many Dallasites may not know that De Lellis was making bar bites himself at Colette for several months. When I stopped in roughly a year ago, he served me chicken fingers, caviar-topped potato chips, and sliders with a tomato confit he spent two hours making (yes, they were really good). 'I love to have a good cocktail with poutine,' he says, reminiscing about eating Irish nachos in Vegas. We all make weird food decisions when we drink, clearly. After a drink, De Lellis is ready to spill some secrets. 'I want to tell you something in confidence,' he says with a glint in his eye after we get into a discussion about the irrepressible popularity of the espresso martini. 'For a few months they were short staffed at Colette, and I was in the back, shaking espresso martinis,' he says, laughing. 'I had so much fun doing it, but I don't know those guys do. My arms were so sore. They sell so many, you can never take them off the menu.' We agree that a real espresso martini must be made with actual espresso, not coffee liqueur or cold brew. If you see De Lellis out and about, checking out Dallas bars, he says his go-to drink order is a Negroni Sbagliato. Send one over and tell him your favorite barbecue or taco spot and what to order there. He's well on his way to finding his standbys in Dallas, but a little extra help never hurts. Eater Dallas All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Miami Herald
18-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Beating of sea lion caught on camera, CA officials say. Now, man pleads guilty
A sick sea lion resting on a California beach was kicked in the head and beaten with a large piece of driftwood, prosecutors say. Now, 32-year-old Christopher Hurtado, of Santa Paula, has pleaded guilty 'to two felony counts related to the beating of a sea lion suffering on a Ventura beach from recent algae blooms,' the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said in a June 17 news release. McClatchy News was unable to immediately reach an attorney representing the man on June 18. 'Ventura County was outraged by the violence this defendant inflicted on a defenseless animal,' District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said in the release. 'The nature of this senseless attack shocked our conscience and called for aggressive prosecution.' As a woman was walking on the beach with her dog March 4, she spotted 'a sea lion stuck on the rocks in front of the Ventura Promenade' and called 911, prosecutors said. When dispatchers checked live footage from surveillance cameras near the Ventura Pier, they saw the man approach the sea lion and kick it in the head, prosecutors said. Hurtado sat on the rocks for a short time, then grabbed 'a four-foot piece of driftwood,' raised it above his head and hit the sea lion twice, prosecutors said. Officers arrived at the shoreline and detained him as he tried to run away, according to police, McClatchy News previously reported. 'Officers found .06 grams of methamphetamine in Hurtado's pants pocket,' prosecutors said. At the time of the attack, 'the sea lion was alive but suffering from domoic acid poisoning, a naturally occurring toxin in algae that can be harmful to marine mammals,' police said. The Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute responded to keep an eye on the sea lion's condition, according to police. The nonprofit ended up caring for the sea lion at its center but later had to euthanize it due to its domoic acid poisoning, prosecutors said. Just before his trial was set to begin, Hurtado pleaded guilty to 'one count of cruelty to an animal and possession of a hard drug,' prosecutors said. In addition, he admitted to 'special allegations and aggravating factors,' which included having a prior strike and 'that the sea lion was vulnerable,' according to prosecutors. Hurtado, who is being held on $25,000 bail, is scheduled to appear in court July 14 for sentencing and faces three years in prison, prosecutors said. Ventura is about a 70-mile drive northwest from Los Angeles. What to know about domoic acid poisoning The sea lion's death came during an uptick in the number of sea lions suffering from domoic acid poisoning found along the Southern California coast, according to a Feb. 25 Facebook post from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. Domoic acid is produced by the algae Pseudo-nitzschia australis, according to the Marine Mammal Center. 'When conditions are right, waters off the coast of California can experience large-scale toxic algal blooms that are capable of sickening hundreds of sea lions in a matter of weeks, causing them to wash ashore at an alarming rate – sometimes a dozen a day,' according to the Marine Mammal Care Center. Some symptoms of domoic acid poisoning are 'seizures, bobbing head, erratic behavior and lethargy,' the Marine Mammal Center says. With some domoic acid poisoning cases, the Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute said it removes sea lions from the beach. In other cases, however, the organization leaves the sea lion on the beach to 'give the animal space and time to work through the acute phase of the toxin,' the organization said, adding that it continues to monitor the animal. The organization warned those who come into contact with a 'marine mammal in distress' to keep a distance of at least 50 feet.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Spain's top prosecutor poised to face trial over leak accusation
By David Latona and Emma Pinedo MADRID (Reuters) -Spain's Supreme Court is set to put the prosecutor general on trial over allegations of leaking confidential information in a tax fraud case involving the partner of a leading opposition figure, according to a court document seen by Reuters on Monday. The case is at the heart of frictions between Spain's centre-left national government and the right-wing leader of the Madrid region, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, with each side accusing the other of corruption. The investigative judge's decision that the case against Prosecutor General Alvaro Garcia Ortiz warrants trial is unprecedented since Spain's return to democracy in 1978. The government appointed Garcia Ortiz, 57, to the post in August 2022. A member of a progressive jurists' association, he has a background in environmental law and led the public prosecution in the high-profile Prestige oil spill. In his writ, judge Angel Hurtado said there was enough evidence to proceed against Garcia Ortiz on accusations of sharing with media the contents of an email exchange between the lawyer representing Ayuso's boyfriend, Alberto Garcia Amador, and the regional prosecutor's office. Hurtado's decision can still be appealed. In the leaked email, Garcia Amador's attorney offered his client's admission to two counts of tax fraud in exchange for a negotiated settlement with Madrid prosecutors to avoid jail penalties. Garcia Amador later testified in court that he had no knowledge of the proposed deal. Hurtado, who launched the case last October, said the email held sensitive personal information, protected under lawyer-prosecutor confidentiality, and claimed that Garcia Ortiz acted under instructions from Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's office in order to "win the narrative". Sanchez said at the time that the prosecutor was "doing his job, going after delinquents". The judge said Garcia Ortiz had erased data from his mobile devices during the investigation, which he labelled an act of "obstruction of justice". Garcia Ortiz has refused to resign and repeatedly defended his innocence and impartiality. His office said in a statement on Monday he would "continue defending the actions and integrity of the institution he represents". Justice Minister Felix Bolanos said he had full confidence in Garcia Ortiz and called him an "exemplary public servant".
