Latest news with #NMSP
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Yahoo
Man, 18, Identified as Suspect Who Allegedly Killed 1, Injured Another During University of New Mexico Shooting
Authorities charged John Fuentes in relation to the death of a 14-year-old boy and the injury of a 19-year-old male The identity of the suspect arrested and charged in relation to the fatal shooting at the University of New Mexico (UNM) has been revealed. In a statement issued on Saturday, July 26, the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) named 18-year-old John Fuentes as the alleged perpetrator. Fuentes was located by authorities in Valencia County and was taken into custody without incident on the afternoon of Friday, July 25, hours after the shooting, the statement said. He was then booked at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque on charges of murder in the first degree, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and tampering with evidence. NMSP were initially called to the UNM campus in the early hours of July 25 after receiving a report of a shooting from the University of New Mexico Police Department, according to the statement. Campus police responded to an alarm signal at Mesa Vista Hall, an academic building located on campus, at 1:36 a.m. local time. Upon arrival, campus officers observed broken windows and suspected blood, and, after conducting a security sweep of the surrounding buildings, they discovered the body of a deceased 14-year-old male inside one of the dorms, per the NMSP. College police officers additionally received a call from the University of New Mexico Hospital stating that a 19-year-old male had come in with a gunshot wound and said he was shot at the UNM campus. NMSP said in the release that their initial investigation 'has determined that the incident involved four individuals who were hanging out in a dorm room in the Casas Del Rio complex.' 'At some point, for reasons still being investigated, the suspect began shooting a firearm at the other occupants in the room. The 14-year-old victim was fatally shot while the other occupants, along with the suspect, fled from the room,' the statement continued. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The name of the deceased victim, as well as the other individuals involved in the incident, have not yet been released. It currently remains unclear if Fuentes is a UNM student. NMSP said the investigation remains ongoing. PEOPLE reached out to the University of New Mexico, as well as the University of New Mexico Police Department, for comment on July 26 but did not receive an immediate response. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Yahoo
New Mexico State Police explain middle of the night cell phone alert
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Metro residents were startled awake to a puzzling alert in the middle of the night, and it wasn't an Amber Alert or a weather emergency. While it might have seemed like a mix-up, New Mexico State Police said it's a new system, and it's here to stay. NMSP said this new alert will function like an Amber Alert, but for missing adults, and the system is required under state law. Story continues below News: Ruidoso flash floods lead to several swift water rescue operations Trending: New Mexico State Police explain middle of the night cell phone alert Community: What's happening in New Mexico July 18-24? Route 66 Summerfest and more Sports: Eck ready to build for the future, Mendenhall provides clarification on UNM departure The alert was sent by NMSP, sharing information about a 77-year-old man, saying if you see him or his vehicle to call. 'They didn't really say that they were, like, missing or it was, like, a criminal or something. So I was a little confused about that,' said Kimira Hewitt. The alert was more like what people expect from an Amber Alert, when a child goes missing, but New Mexico State Police said the emergency alert system is now being used for adults. 'I was a little confused, just because you don't usually get them for elderly people,' said Hermitt. Up until now, when an adult has gone missing, police have sent the legally required alerts through TV, radio, and social media, but state law said they have to send it to cell phones as well. They didn't have the technology for that until now. 'So we couldn't fulfill that statutory requirement, but now that that code has been created and we have access to it, we're statutorily required to send out that alert,' said Sergeant Ricardo Braceda, Public Information Officer, New Mexico State Police. The new format comes as the FCC created a code for missing elders and other populations who aren't kids. State police said people can expect to receive alerts like Wednesday night's anytime there is a Silver Alert for a missing elderly person, or a Turquoise Alert for a missing native American person. But many people who received it were frustrated to see it come through in the middle of the night, categorized as an extreme emergency. 'If someone was obviously distressed and we needed to help find them, that was important, but I'm not gonna be helpful at 12:30 in the middle of the night while sleeping,' said Lawing. Some expressed that it made them want to shut the alerts off overall. 'There may be some alert fatigue, but there's a good reason for why these alerts are being sent. You know, these are we're talking about human lives here,' said Sgt. Braceda. State police said they are working with the Department of Homeland Security to improve the functionality, like better classifying the urgency and stating clearly that the person is missing. 'With this being a new alert, uh, that's something that we're evaluating with the system that we use, that's in place to ensure that we deliver the necessary information to people,' said Sgt. Braceda. NMSP said they are the only law enforcement agency in the state so far that can send emergency alerts. They typically can send around 50 silver alerts per year, but there could be more. It turns out that the missing man, Jose Lujan, had died. NMSP said his body was found because a truck driver received the phone alert and spotted his car. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Yahoo
Family of missing Los Alamos National Laboratory employee seeks help from public
TAOS COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – It's been more than a week since a northern New Mexico woman went missing. Though there has been an extensive search effort, not much has shed light on what happened to Melissa Casias. Casias went missing on Thursday, June 26, and was last seen near Talpa, NM, just southeast of Ranchos De Taos. Her disappearance spurred large-scale search and rescue operations and has prompted the involvement of New Mexico State Police (NMSP). 'That's the last that we know about where she was that day,' said Jazmin McMillen, Casias' niece. According to her family, Casias went missing after taking lunch to her daughter at a cafe in Taos Plaza. Nine days later, investigators are still searching. Taos animal shelter closes indefinitely, amid funding and operational challenges 'No positive news right now,' McMillen said. 'We're really just trying to kind of keep it top of mind for people in the area.' Her family says Casias is an Administrative Assistant for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and drove to work that morning. They say she forgot her badge, which she needs for security clearance, and decided to work from home. Her family says Caisas later took lunch to her daughter at the John Dunn Shops in Taos, and left the area just before 1:00 p.m. 'She got back in her car, she left,' McMillen said. 'We have surveillance footage that shows what she was seen last wearing.' Alarms were raised when Casias' daughter returned home after work and found all of her mother's belongings. But Melissa was not there. Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office: Missing child located 'Her purse, her car, her keys, her wallet, and her personal phone, her work phone, and her computer were all at home,' McMillen explained. A tip came in later that day, saying that someone saw her walking alone on foot on Highway 518 in Talpa, and was seen on neighbors' Ring doorbell cameras. The family later confirmed it was her based on the clothes she was wearing that day. The family says that's the last time she was seen. Since then, hundreds of volunteers, family members, and law enforcement have spent hours searching for her. 'We created some large maps of the total search area,' McMillen added. 'We divided that into quadrants and sub-quadrants, so we had 16 grid areas where we sent volunteers.' The family is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to Casias' safe return. The family has started a Facebook page and GoFundMe to help in their efforts to find Melissa. They are asking the public to contact NMSP with any tips or leads at 505-425-6771. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man dead in officer-involved shooting with New Mexico State Police in T or C
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M. (KRQE) — New Mexico State Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting from Tuesday in Truth or Consequences. According to NMSP, shots were fired between an officer and a wanted man, who was fatally struck. A NMSP officer pulled over a white GMC pickup truck being driven by 75-year-old Dennis Ritchie Jones, of Las Cruces, at about 12:09 p.m. A query ran on Jones' license plate showed he had an active arrest warrant for probation violation involving sexual assault out of Arizona. Story continues below Larry Barker Investigation: Free rides on the New Mexico justice train Tech News: A bond stronger than science: Family works in tandem at Verus Research National: 'Largest fentanyl bust ever': DEA recovers millions of pills in ABQ According to NMSP, an altercation ensued during the traffic stop. An officer fired in Jones' direction. Jones fled from the scene in his truck. A pursuit began on NM Highway 181 – north of Truth or Consequences. An officer caught up to the vehicle stopped in the middle of High Winds Road. NMSP says an officer gave commands to Jones, who started firing at the officer. The officer returned fire. Jones was pronounced dead on the scene. The officer was not injured. 'The officer has been placed on standard administrative leave. New Mexico State Police act solely as factfinders in their investigation and conduct an unbiased and impartial investigation. In officer-involved shootings, NMSP thoroughly documents the scene, collects evidence, and interviews officers, subjects, and witnesses. In turn, NMSP compiles facts as detailed as possible and forwards all reports to the appropriate district attorney for their review. The New Mexico State Police does not determine whether an officer's actions were justified; this determination rests solely with the district attorney's office.' — New Mexico State Police NMSP says the identity of the officer will not be released until interviews have been completed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Albuquerque police shooting, Teen arrested, Warmer and stormier, New Mexico drought, Badger study
Treasurer of NM Democratic party abruptly resigns 5 weeks into the job NM lawmakers learn about the potential impact of federal funding cuts to SNAP NMSP release video of fatal police shooting in Truth or Consequences Traffic to be delayed for several days on portion of Eubank in Albuquerque Juvenile sentenced for 2024 vehicular homicide in Española Teen convicted of shooting 15-year-old during fight over gun Scientists ID new prehistoric sea creature: Nearly 40 feet long with 'crushing' teeth [1] Police canine, suspect killed in officer-involved shooting near Sunport – An investigation is underway after an officer-involved shooting near the Albuquerque Sunport left a suspect dead. Chief Harold Medina says detectives tracked a suspect to the Comfort Inn near the Sunport around 10 p.m. Wednesday. Police say the suspect tried leaving the hotel, but ran back inside when he saw them. APD says the suspect jumped out of a second story window and a police canine assisted in stopping him. [2] 4th teen arrested for role in hitting and killing man riding his bike to work – APD have arrested a fourth teen for his alleged role in the 2024 murder of Scott Habermehl, who was riding his bike to work. Investigators say Elijah Engelking, who was 15 at the time, was in the stolen car accused of intentionally crashing into Habermehl. APD previously arrested 13-year-old Johnathan Overbay, 15-year-old William Garcia, and 11-year-old Messiah Hayes in the case. APD says several people told detectives they recognized the sound of his voice when the video was posted on social media. Detectives determined Engelking also shared details about the crash and the investigation with friends through social media conversations. [3] Hotter temperatures around the state and stronger storms form in eastern NM – Isolated rain and thunderstorm chances continue in parts of New Mexico through this weekend. The highest chances for rain will be across the central mountain chain and in eastern New Mexico. Temperatures across New Mexico will also continue to heat up through Friday, when high temperatures will be well-above average statewide. The heat will stick around for most of the state through Sunday. [4] Governor declares state of emergency due to severe drought in New Mexico – Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared a state of emergency due to severe drought in New Mexico. The order was issued last Thursday and assembles a task force to coordinate a response, including helping communities conserve water, and share resources to other local and tribal governments. The task force also has until July 31 to recommend short-term measures to reduce wildfire risk. [5] ABQ Parks and Rec conducting badger study – The Albuquerque Department of Parks and Recreation is enlisting the help of residents for a new study. Anyone who's captured a photo of a badger in the area is asked to send it in. They ask that all photos clearly show the animal's head stripe, which functions like its fingerprint. They have not released the exact details of the study, but say the photos will help shape future land management. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
