- JAIL INMATE DEATH-INVESTIGATION
Prosecutors reviewing report on death of Albuquerque inmate(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Prosecutors are reviewing a 155-page report detailing the criminal investigation into the death of an inmate at the Bernalillo County jail earlier this year.
The Albuquerque Journal also reports that Metropolitan Detention Center Chief Ralph Fernandez's internal investigation into the Feb. 2 death of 37-year-old Vicente Villela is pending.
Villela died as several correctional officers allegedly held him down in a prone position in a cell hours after he had been booked into jail.
The Journal says the incident was captured on video from a hand-held camera.
An attorney representing Villela's family says Villela died from excessive force.
A spokesman for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney's Office says videos, witness statements and other documents must be thoroughly investigated before a decision on possible prosecution is reached.
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- COMMUTER TRAIN-CRASH PROBE
Footage of fatal crash involving commuter train, car damaged(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities in Albuquerque may have hit a snag in their investigation into a fatal crash involving a commuter train and a car.
The Albuquerque Journal reports cameras on the Rail Runner Express train are supposed to record everything that happens while the train is operating.
Rio Metro Regional Transit District officials say the hard drive those cameras feed into was damaged during the July 3 crash, rendering both the device and the footage useless.
Rio Metro operates the commuter train.
Police say 28-year-old Nicole Lopez was killed when a train hit her car after she drove under the lowering crossing arm.
They suspect the incident occurred because of driver inattention.
Without the video, investigators don't know exactly how long Lopez's car sat on the tracks after the crossing arms went down.
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- SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-EPSTEIN
As Epstein bail fight looms, feds say evidence growing dailyNEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors say several more women have contacted them since financier Jeffrey Epstein's arrest to say he abused them when they were underage.
They cited the contacts in arguing against bail prior to a hearing Monday.
Epstein's lawyers say he's no threat to flee and should await trial under house arrest in his $77 million Manhattan mansion.
Prosecutors, calling him a flight risk and danger, say evidence against him is growing "stronger by the day."
They say they worry Epstein will try to influence witnesses if he is not incarcerated on charges that he recruited and abused dozens of underage girls in New York and Florida in the early 2000s.
Epstein's lawyers, though, say he's lived a law-abiding life since pleading guilty to Florida solicitation charges in 2008.
- ROCK CLIMBER-FATAL FALL
Rock climber dies after a 140-foot fall in Sandia MountainsALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say a rock climber has died after falling about 140 feet in the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque.
Bernalillo County Fire Department officials say several people were on a rock-climbing excursion when one climber slipped and fell Saturday morning.
The name of the victim hasn't been released yet.
Authorities say the victim was repelling off the Clandestine Wall on the north side of the Sandia Crest and fell after a possible equipment malfunction.
Numerous law enforcement and search and rescue agencies attempted to recover the body throughout the day but called off the operation around 7 p.m. due to rain and terrain that was dangerous for a helicopter.
They are trying to recover the body again on Sunday.
- NEW MEXICO HISTORY-EXHIBITION
Albuquerque Museum offers journey through New Mexico history(Information from: KRQE-TV, http://www.krqe.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Hundreds of items representing centuries of New Mexico history will be on display as part of a new exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum.
The items range from letters written by outlaw Billy the Kid to more contemporary objects that are part of the Palace of the Governors extensive collection.
The Albuquerque Museum's curator of art, Josie Lopez, tells Albuquerque television station KRQE that the exhibit is like a journey through time that starts with the 1700s.
The letters by Billy the Kid involve him wanting to testify about a killing that he witnessed in exchange for his freedom. Lopez says one letter was written just months before the outlaw ended up being killed.
Other pieces include an old penny farthing bicycle and classic dresses.
The exhibit runs through Oct. 20.
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- APARTMENT COMPLEX FIRE-THE LATEST
The Latest: Arrest in Albuquerque apartment complex fireALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A woman is accused of arson in a fire that heavily damaged an Albuquerque apartment complex, displacing residents of 24 units and sending several people to a hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.
KOB-TV and KOAT-TV report that court records say 29-year-old Cherlynn Martinez was arrested on suspicion of arson in the Friday fire and that a sister of Martinez had called 911 to report that Martinez was setting the fire and that the sister had pleaded with her to stop.
There was no indication of a possible motive.
Bernolillo County jail records show Martinez is in custody and online court records don't list a defense attorney for Martinez who could comment on the allegation.
Fire Department spokesman Tom Ruiz said an adult and two young children were in stable condition after treatment for smoke inhalation.
The Red Cross said it was assisting displaced residents.
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- SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-EPSTEIN-NEW MEXICO
Billionaire's New Mexico ranch linked to investigationALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico ranch owned by Jeffrey Epstein has become tied to an investigation by the state attorney general's office into the financier.
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas' office has confirmed that it has interviewed possible victims of Epstein who visited the sprawling Zorro Ranch south of Santa Fe, where Epstein built a home in the 1990s.
Epstein, who pleaded not guilty this week to federal sex trafficking charges in New York, has not faced criminal charges in New Mexico.
But the scandal surrounding him has still sent a jolt through the state as it comes under scrutiny for laws that allowed him to avoid registering as a sex offender following a guilty plea a decade ago in Florida.
Balderas says his office planned to forward findings to federal authorities.
- TRUMP-BORDER
Trump defends border detention campsWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is defending the conditions of the border detention facilities visited by Vice President Mike Pence on Friday.
Trump tweeted Sunday, saying the children's rooms were "well run and clean" while the men's facilities were "clean but crowded."
The president's account flies in the face of images from the visit and accounts from journalists present during Pence's tour of the McAllen, Texas, facility.
Hundreds of men were crowded in sweltering cages without cots. Some of the men said they were hungry and had been held in the foul-smelling caged room for 40 days or longer.
Pence's tour was meant to show the administration is providing adequate care for migrants but needs more money.
The scene he witnessed, though, sparked new criticism of the conditions facing migrants.