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Latest New Mexico news, sports, business and entertainment at 6:20 a.m. MDT

  • RUNAWAY TEENS ARRESTED

4 runaway teens arrested after armed robbery in New MexicoSANTA ROSA, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State Police say four teenage runaways have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery west of Santa Rosa and could be involved in crimes in other states.
They say the four teens were arrested Friday night after a traffic stop on Interstate 40.
Police say the juveniles were in a vehicle seen leaving a gas station that was robbed of an undisclosed amount of money.
Investigators are trying to determine if the teens were involved in similar armed robberies in Texas and Colorado.
Police say two boys ages 16 and 17 from Columbus, Nebraska, are facing charges of aggravated armed robbery.
They say a 16-year-old boy from Provo City, Utah, and a 16-year-old girl from Columbus, Nebraska, are facing charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated armed robbery.

  • WAGE INVESTIGATION-ADELANTE-THE LATEST

The Latest: New Mexico lawmakers call for wage reviewALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Six Democratic lawmakers are voicing their concerns about pay disparities among workers with intellectual and developmental disabilities in New Mexico.
The lawmakers sent a letter to state Attorney General Hector Balderas, asking that he review the regulatory framework that governs pay for such workers in light of new allegations that some are being grossly underpaid.
Representatives Deborah Armstrong, Karen Bash, Joanne Ferrary, Angelica Rubio, Liz Thomson and Christine Trujillo signed the letter Friday. They say they want to ensure the state is adequately protecting a vulnerable population of workers.
Rubio and Ferrary sponsored legislation in 2017 that would have required at least minimum wage for workers with disabilities. That effort spurred the creation of a task force to examine the issue.
Adelante Development Center says it welcomes the review by the attorney general.

  • STOLEN CAR-GIRL INSIDE

Police: Unattended running car with girl, 5, inside stolenLAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say a five-year-old girl is safe after a New Mexico man stole an unattended running car with the girl inside.
KVIA-TV in El Paso, Texas, reports 35-year-old Victor Castillo was arrested left week following an intense search for a stolen 2017 Chevy Cruze taken outside of Las Cruces.
According to investigators, the young girl's mother went back into her home early Thursday and left her car running with the girl inside. Police say when the mother returned the car was gone.
A New Mexico State Police officer later spotted the stolen vehicle heading east on Interstate 10 toward El Paso and Castillo was arrested after a short chase. The girl was not injured.
Castillo was charged with child abuse and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. It was not known if he had an attorney.

  • MODERATE-LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CLASH

Moderate New Mexico Senate Dems slow liberal House freshmenSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Liberal New Mexico House freshmen lawmakers saw some bills blocked by moderate Democrats in the state Senate this session.
The Democratic first-term House lawmakers say overall they were satisfied with the results from the Democratic-controlled Legislative session that ended Friday. But many say they were frustrated by conservative Democrats in the Senate who stalled and tabled more liberal proposals on marijuana, early childhood education and immigration.
First-term Rep. Andrea Romero, a Santa Fe Democrat, says fellow freshmen were disappointed that Senate Democrats hindered some of their initiatives. She says her class members were elected with U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and have the same energy.
But Sen. John Sapien, a Bernalillo Democrat, says the Senate has a responsibility to be deliberate and examine the financial implications of all proposals.

  • MOON ROCKS-RESEARCH

University of New Mexico to partner in moon rock studiesALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Researchers at New Mexico's flagship university are among nine teams selected by NASA to study pieces of the moon that have been carefully stored and have remained untouched for decades.
The University of New Mexico says it will share in a total of $8 million that has been awarded to the teams.
Thomas Zurbuchen is with NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C. He says studying the lunar samples will help a new generation of scientists advance the understanding of the moon and prepare for the next era of lunar exploration.
One of the samples that will be studied has never been exposed to Earth's atmosphere. It was collected and vacuum-sealed by Apollo 17 astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Gene Cernan in 1972 from a landslide deposit on the moon.

  • FORT LEWIS COLLEGE-TRANSFERS

Fort Lewis to start program for San Juan College transfers(Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com)
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — Fort Lewis College in Colorado is set to start a new scholarship transfer program for graduates of San Juan College in New Mexico.
The Farmington Daily Times reports the Durango, Colorado college is launching this fall a new reciprocal program for San Juan College graduates that could award them with a merit-based scholarship to pay in-state tuition rates.
Currently, New Mexico students who graduate with an associate degree and have a 3.0 GPA can apply for the New Mexico Reciprocal Scholarship.
San Juan College students starting in the Fall 2019 semester with a GPA of 2.75 or higher can apply to transfer to Fort Lewis College at the in-state tuition rate.
Officials say around 500 students in the last 10 years have transferred from San Juan to Fort Lewis.
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  • INTERSTATE-HOMICIDE

Probe of Albuquerque homicide shuts down I-25 stretchALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque police are investigating after a man was found dead in a vehicle off a busy interstate.
Authorities shut down southbound Interstate 25 near the Montano on-ramp for hours Sunday after reports of an armed suspect and a victim lying on the ground.
Police spokesman Simon Drobik says officers responded after 6:30 p.m. and found a sedan on the side of the road and a man fatally injured.
According to Drobik, officers found two other men in the car and determined the victim had been riding with them.
The two men were taken into custody but are being treated as witnesses.
Drobik says there are no signs that this was an incident of road rage.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact them.

  • ALBUQUERQUE HIT-AND-RUN

Albuquerque police: Pedestrian critical after hit-and-runALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police in Albuquerque say they're investigating a hit-and-run that has critically injured a pedestrian.
They say a woman was struck in the city's southeast area about 2 a.m. Sunday.
Police say the victim was taken to the hospital where she's listed in critical condition.
The intersection where the hit-and-run occurred is expected to remain closed until the investigation is complete.
Police didn't say if there are any witnesses to the incident.