EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Students at a Georgia high school will eventually return to class in the wake of a shooting in which a student shot and killed two teachers and two classmates, and wounded nine others.

The shooting happened the same day the El Paso district attorney announced an increased focus on prosecuting those who make threats against schools locally.

The scheduled news conference focused on school threats; the joint law enforcement awareness campaign's timing couldn't be more relevant.

D.A. Bill Hicks, County Attorney Christina Sanchez, the FBI and local school district police officials showed a video they produced called "School Threats Are No Joke."

It was made in response to the threats of violence local school districts are handling weekly.

Hicks said those who make threats will be prosecuted and that parents need to take responsibility for how they're raising their child.

The message -- and the video itself -- prompted comments from ABC-7 viewers.

"I like the idea of holding parents accountable for letting their kids have access to firearms. The teenage killers aren't magically popping out of the ground," said one person in the article's comment section. "Their parents are at least partly to blame for the damage caused by mass shootings."

Another viewer stated, "My son shot his first shotgun when he was 12 years old. However, he was taught how to use it properly and to respect its use. You know, the things that the NRA teaches, gun safety!"

ABC-7 also received an email, asking, "Where can parents go to access and watch the PSA regarding school shooting?"

Watch: School Threats Are No Joke

The post ABC-7 Listens: Reaction to crackdown on school threats appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- An assistant district attorney is suing the County of El Paso for wrongful termination.

ABC-7 obtained a copy of the federal civil lawsuit John Briggs filed against the county.

ADA Briggs was publicly fired by former, disgraced district attorney Yvonne Rosales in August of 2022, and was rehired in February 2023 by current DA Bill Hicks.

In his lawsuit, Briggs said Rosales was, "a colossal disaster" whose nearly two-year tenure was "indelibly marred by incompetence and scandal."

Briggs said Rosales and her "inner circle of advisors forced Briggs out of the El Paso County District Attorney's Office after he refused to cooperate with an illegal scheme she and her advisors had conducted."

ABC-7 reported on the unearthing of that incident that occurred on Aug. 4, 2022, when Rosales and her associates were accused of violating a court-issued gag order in the Walmart massacre case by impersonating and threatening family members of victims.

According to the lawsuit, Briggs said former ADA Curtis Cox approached him on Aug. 18, 2022, and instructed Briggs to sign an affidavit that stated Briggs had not informed the family of Walmart shooting victim Alexander Hoffmann of the gag order, which Briggs said was false.

The day after he refused to sign the affidavit, the lawsuit states that the DA Division Chief Scott Ferguson drafted Briggs' performance evaluation, and despite "consistently" receiving favorable evaluations over his 25-year tenure, Briggs said Furguson "tanked" Briggs and emailed the draft to Cox, Rosales and First Assistant District Attorney George Al-Hanna. Briggs also said Al-Hanna intentionally lowered Briggs' score and made the criticism harsher.

Briggs said on Aug. 22, 2022, he was terminated and escorted out of the office.

Briggs said in the lawsuit he received the evaluation draft and final evaluation in an open records request.

ABC-7 left a voicemail with Al-Hanna asking if he would comment on the lawsuit, and we are awaiting a response.

Briggs is seeking damages and back pay, as well as lost wages, saying he had to take a job outside of El Paso County that paid half of the salary in the D.A.'s office. He is seeking damages for the harm done to his reputation and for the mental anguish, physical and emotional pain and suffering, humiliation and other factors.

Briggs is also asking for a federal jury trial.

The post Assistant DA sues County of El Paso over wrongful termination by “colossal disaster” DA Rosales appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Desiree Wheatley would have been celebrating her 53rd birthday on Monday, Sept. 2.

Instead, Wheatley's mother is coming to terms knowing her daughter has been dead for more-than double the number of years she was alive.

"This has been 37 years in the making. So, try holding your breath for 37 seconds. I've been holding mine for 37 years," said Marcia Fulton.

Fulton's youngest daughter went missing on the last day of school, on June 2, 1987. She was last seen getting into a beige truck at the Circle K in her Northeast El Paso neighborhood.

Her body was found in a desert grave among the remains of five other young women and teen girls later that year.

"She trusted everybody, because she never had any reason not to," Fulton said. 

As police searched for the perpetrator who became known as "The Desert Serial Killer," they arrested David Leonard Wood and charged him with capital murder.

Wood was convicted and sentenced to death in 1992, but he has maintained his innocence.

He was granted a stay in his 2009 execution after he claimed mental retardation, but his claim was denied by an appellate court in 2014.

Listen to the Borderland Crimes podcast episode on the case

Ten years later, the state has put his execution date back on the calendar.

Wood is scheduled to die by lethal injection on March 13, 2025.

Fulton still plans on attending the execution in Huntsville, TX.

"I didn't come this far to not go," she said. "I want people to understand that I'm not looking for revenge. I'm looking for justice. He did the crime, he needs to do the punishment."

Fulton, who is 72, has buried both her daughters and a husband. She said she had feared for many years that she would outlive Wood, too.

"I want him to see me at his execution, too. That would just completely close that book, in my mind," Fulton said. "Right now, the book's been open 37 years and counting. So, you know, that's a long time when you're waiting to see something that needs to be done. And you know it needs to be done because he'll do it again if he's let loose."

The post Mom of murder victim to attend killer’s execution appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- An El Paso man who's been on death row for over thirty years has a new execution date.

David Leonard Wood, who had been dubbed "The Desert Serial Killer," was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in 1992.

Wood was accused of murdering six young women and girls, whose bodies were found buried in a desert area of northeast El Paso in the summer of 1987.

He had been scheduled for execution in 2009, according to KVIA archives, but that was stayed by an appellate court days before it was supposed to happen after Wood's attorneys filed a motion to appeal based on claims that he was mentally retarded.

Wood has maintained his innocence, but his latest appeal, which asked for additional DNA testing and to recuse the trial judge, was denied by the Court of Criminal Appeals in May of this year, according to court records.

ABC-7 obtained a court order that was signed by a judge last week, setting his execution by lethal injection to take place in Huntsville, TX, on March 13, 2025.

Listen to the Borderland Crimes podcast episode posted in November of 2020 for more background on the case.

The post El Paso’s “Desert Serial Killer” to be executed appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

And while much of the focus has been on the presidential race, there are many local items on the ballot, and some could affect how much EL Paso residents pay in property taxes. 

El Paso County Commissioners Court recently approved placing two items on the November ballot.

One is the nearly $324 million Capital Improvement Bond, and the other is a nearly $400 million bond for University Medical Center of El Paso.

ABC-7 reported both on County Commissioners moving forward on the bond election when it happened on Aug. 12, and the potential impact on your tax bill on Aug. 16.

The reporting caught the attention of one ABC-7 viewer.

Mike Rooney said, "(Reporter Paul Schulz's) reports were detailed and easy to understand, plus his supporting charts were well thought out and thus most helpful in understanding the full yearly impact to property taxpayers, plus the additional detail of the total increases due to the yearly property appraisals for the last 4 years. (I'm) wondering what the full impact in taxes will be when you add in the City, EPCC, El Paso Water and our individual school districts. SUPER and well done report — THANK YOU!"

Everyone in the county over age 18 can vote on those bond proposals.

The post ABC-7 Listens: Breaking down County, UMC bond initiatives appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- City of El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser is set to hold a news conference Thursday to address the city manager selection process.

This announcement comes more than a day after ABC-7 asked the city for clarification on that process.

The ask for clarification was due to a selection committee member sounding off to ABC-7 about what she's calling the "rush" to fill the city's highest position.

That committee member, Cindy Conroy, explained what is causing her unease.

"(I'm) thinking, 'Okay, we've gone without a city manager for you know, almost a year and a half, we've been running with an interim,'" Conroy said. "But when you start thinking about it, We're going to have an election in less than 80 days. We have, if you include the mayor, we have six council positions that are up for re-election or will be seating new council members. And now we're rushing to hire a new city manager. And in my mind, this is not the way corporate America works, this is not the way I've seen the public sector work," added Conroy, who is an assistant vice president at WestStar Bank.

Conroy says City Rep. Isabel Salcido asked her four weeks ago to join the City Manager Selection Committee.

But she says the day after her appointment, city representatives announced they had whittled the applications down from 80 to four, and the final four candidates are currently employed by the city of El Paso.

When asked what she thought when she heard the announcement, Conroy said, "'Well, what am I doing?' That was one of those things where I was like, 'Why did they ask if I wanted to be in this process, because they already announced the finalists. Why did you need any community input?'" Conroy continued, adding, "It doesn't make sense. If we're going to get the best, and the best may be internal, but it would be nice to know that there was that search that we could see that. But, you know, we don't know, and we will never know."

ABC-7 reached out to the city's spokeswoman on Tuesday, seeking more information on the committee's mission and for a response to Conroy's comment about the process being rushed.

Those answers may come during the mayor's news conference Thursday afternoon to address the city manager selection process.

Be sure to watch ABC-7 at 4 for updates.

The post City manager hiring feels “rushed,” says selection committee member appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- As the Borderland nears the fifth anniversary of the deadliest mass shooting in El Paso's history, we are nowhere near the start of the state trial for the man who claimed responsibility for the massacre in a federal court last year.

The lack of a definitive trial date for Patrick Crusius means the two men vying to be El Paso's District Attorney are both preparing prosecution strategies while they hit the campaign trail for November's election.

"The jury selection process is going to be a very long process," District Attorney Bill Hicks told ABC-7. "I expect we're going to go through probably a couple 1,000 individual jury sheets before we are able to pare that down and and get to several 100 that are actually willing to be fair and impartial and and set aside whatever they know, or have heard, about the Walmart case -- and are willing to just listen to what they hear from the witness stand."

Crusius' defense attorney Joe Spencer declined an interview about the trial ahead of the anniversary, citing the gag order imposed by 409th District Judge Sam Medrano on the case.

In previous status hearings, Spencer and the defense team said they needed more time to review the case file because the evidence from the prosecutor's office was overwhelming, with millions of pages of documents of evidence, and some digital files were corrupted.

Hicks disagrees.

"I don't want to, I can't go into too many details because we have the gag order," Hicks said. "But we disagreed with that in court. The vast majority of the evidence that they had was the same evidence they have had since the case was first filed."

The case was filed on Aug. 4, 2019.

At that time, James Montoya was a prosecutor on the case. Now, he's the Democratic candidate for district attorney.

"When I was out campaigning, going door to door, I would say this was the number one issue on people's minds," Montoya told ABC-7, and quoted some of the questions he'd receive. "'What's going to happen to this case? Why is it taking so long?'"

Montoya acknowledged the case was disrupted not just by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also by Yvonne Rosales, the former elected District Attorney who was forced to resign in Dec. 2022 while facing allegations that her associates intimidated and impersonated families of Walmart shooting victims.

"The state is ready to go to trial. We're waiting on the court to give us a trial date," said Hicks.

Based on the court docket, that could happen during a conference set for 9am on Sept. 12.

But both Hicks and Montoya are not optimistic that a trial will be set before the Nov. 5 election.

Hicks, a Republican appointed as D.A. by Gov. Greg Abbott, is seeking voter approval to the seat for the first time. He took over for disgraced District Attorney Yvonne Rosales, who resigned in Dec. 2022 after serving less than half of her four-year term.

When asked if he thinks about what happens to the case if he doesn't win, Hicks paused before responding. "I think about it a great deal, Stephanie, I do," he answered. "I've invested a lot of my heart and my energy and my spirit into this case. And I want to see this case through; I want to see justice for our community, I want to see justice for the victims' families, I want to see justice for- I want to see justice."

Depending on who wins, the Walmart shooting trial will either be prosecuted by Hicks, or tried by El Paso's fourth district attorney since Aug. 3, 2019.

Montoya said if he wins, he's expecting to try the case.

"I have not seen any indication that the case will go to trial this year," Montoya said. "Just from what I've seen in the open court hearings, it looks like they are anticipating a trial date in 2025."

What Hicks and Montoya agree on is what the Cielo Vista Walmart shooter should be tried by a jury.

"I personally believe the death penalty is appropriate," said Montoya. "This is a case that should be tried; a jury of El Pasoans should be the one to decide his sentence."

"I know that if he gets the death penalty, he's looking at a very long and very lengthy appeal process," said Hicks. "If he gets the death penalty, it's going to be potentially a couple of decades before he's actually put to death. I understand all of that. But that should be the jury's decision."

Listen to the extended interviews with both Hicks and Montoya in a special episode of the Borderland Crimes podcast published on Saturday, Aug. 3.

The post 5 Years Later: Election outcome could change lead prosecutor in Aug. 3 shooting trial appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- How closely do you scrutinize your utility bills?

One fee caught the attention of one ABC-7 viewer, who wrote to the newsroom with a question about our grey trash bins. 

Robert said, "Why does the city charge you $19 a month ... for the use of the grey trash bin. Can't you just buy one. That comes at $228 a year."

Sure enough, on the Environmental Services side of the water bill, there is a $19 charge for "1 grey trash bin."

ABC-7 reached out to the city to find out what is behind the fee.

The Environmental Services Department said, due to space limitations on the bill, the fee states "grey bin," but there's much more to that fee than just the bin.

ESD added, "The monthly fee to the resident covers the collection of both trash and recyclables (trucks, fuel, payroll, maintenance) as well as the cost of the landfill operation and the citizen collection stations.

And as for buying your own bin, ESD explained, "These bins are provided by ESD to keep a universal size of the bins that work with our trash/recycling collection fleet. ESD in addition provides maintenance of the bins which include replacement of lids, wheels, and body due to wear and tear."

The city will replace the bin at cost, if it's damaged by residents.

And there is no additional fee to repair the bins due to wear and tear.

Find a collection station near you and review which recyclables are collected on the Environmental Services website.

The post ABC-7 Listens: What is the “Grey Trash Bin Fee” appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- An El Paso girl has tried to move past the sexual assault she endured when she was only 5 years old. The girl is now 17, locked in the grinding wheels of the justice system. Edward Alvarado is facing multiple charges of continuous sex abuse of a child, and has been in jail since 2016 awaiting a jury trial. ABC-7's Stephanie Valle investigates what is to blame for the delay.

Watch the first part of her investigation here.

Podcast show note: Get background about the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct proceedings involving Judge Marcos Lizarraga from Borderland Crimes episode 12.

The post Borderland Crimes Podcast 23: Justice Delayed – El Paso Girl Waits 8 Years to Face Accused Rapist appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso electric crews are flocking across the city, exchanging existing meters with a "smart meter."

El Paso Electric said on its website, a smart meter tracks energy use in real time and sends the data directly to EPE through a secure communication network.

EPE says customers will have access to energy consumption data and therefore, better control of energy costs; faster outage notification and restoration; and enhanced service and programs for customers.

Customers can opt-out, and one ABC-7 viewer wrote the newsroom to sound off about why he is doing just that.

Chris wrote, "...no one should have control over you or your property. Now, I could understand if they had come out and said... 'We will allow the public to vote on it, or have (a) choice to opt in or out without any charge or threat of discontinuation, or increase of monthly charges,' then that would have been different."

According to the EPE Website, customers will be charged a monthly fee to cover the cost of the smart meter installation.

For residential customers, that fee will be $2.03. There are opt-out fees: the one-time fee to opt out ranges from roughly $106 to about $171, with a monthly recurring fee of $13.44.

When ABC-7 asked El Paso Electric about both fees, the spokesman said in an email, "The opt-out fee is to cover the two systems we will have to maintain for customers that decide to opt out – the new smart meter network and the legacy system. If a customer opts out and then decides to receive the new smart meter, they can contact EPE by email, chat or phone."

He also said the monthly smart meter fee will be in place for 12 years and will decrease after year 5.

That is for Texas customers.

In New Mexico, the monthly fee will be in place for 10 years and will be adjusted annually, and he explained, the differences are due to varying state regulations.

Go to the El Paso Electric website to learn more about the smart meters.

And if you haven't gotten yours yet, the installation process will continue through 2025.

The post ABC-7 Listens: El Paso Electric’s Smart Meter installation appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Federal records obtained by ABC-7 show a Sierra Title office in McAllen, along with an escrow officer, are accused of a scheme to defraud potential homebuyers.

The documents allege that the escrow officer would accept money for down payments and closing costs and sign off on the sales. But oftentimes, the property wasn't for sale, the properties were sold multiple times to different people at the same time, and the documents were all falsified, according to the court records.

The case was filed in May of this year, but the scheme is alleged to have taken place since 2020.

The details in that case are similar to the case involving Sierra Title here in El Paso, where over a dozen potential home buyers claim they were scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars each in a scheme that took place over a four-year span.

"I contacted the seller on Facebook, I told them I wanted the property, and he took us to Sierra Title to close the deal," Joevana Casillas told ABC-7. "That's where I gave the $15,000 down payment, but I never got a closing. To this day, I haven't got a closing. I asked for my money back and I haven't seen a dime."

Casillas said she and her husband sold their mobile home in order to pay $15,000 towards a down payment and $1,500 in closing costs on a home at 371 George Orr Road in the lower valley.

Casillas provided ABC-7 documentation showing Sierra Title signed off on her purchasing paperwork. But the house at George Orr is not in her name, according to the Central Appraisal District website.

"The property that I was buying belonged to Laura Marquez, the escrow officer of Sierra Title. It was under her name," Casillas said.

Documentation on the CAD website shows the home does indeed belong to Laura Marquez, and Marquez is listed as an escrow officer on the Sierra Title website. A document on the El Paso County website shows that 371 George Orr is being foreclosed upon and was put up for auction at the beginning of July.

"Even if I have to leave the house, I don't want nothing to do with them, with Sierra Title," Casillas said. "I just want my money back. I just want justice for all the families."

Casillas is one of the numerous counter plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Sierra Title who claims the title company is engaging in deceptive business practices.

ABC-7 reviewed 18 signed and notarized affidavits filed with the court records, and all of them state the potential homebuyers interacted with Laura Marquez, Federico Aguirre, Edward Romo, or all three.

The defendants claim Aguirre and Romo presented themselves as the home sellers online, in person and during the closings at Sierra Title.

According to the counter plaintiffs and documents ABC-7 found on the El Paso County website and the state comptroller's office website, Aguirre is associated with The Capulet Investment Company and Romo is associated with Versus FNF, LLC, both of which are also named in the counter claim.

Based on their notarized statements submitted to the court, combined, the residents gave Romo, Aguirre or Marquez $427,251 in cash for down payments and closing costs from 2020 to 2024.

Many of them now claim the paperwork was done incorrectly, they've lost money and are in danger of losing their investments.

"I'm mentally tired," Casillas said, with a sigh. "I will have to leave the house. I will lose my money and my property because they don't want to give me back my money."

ABC-7 contacted the attorney listed in court filings as representing Romo and Aguirre for comment, or to be put in contact with them for this report.

The attorney said he would pass along the message, but they haven't reached out to ABC-7.

Sierra Title is suing Casillas and 11 others for damages up to $1 million, claiming wrongful disparaging of their business.

ABC-7 has request a comment from Sierra Title several times, and hasn't heard back, but Friday night ABC-7 received a statement from Laura Marquez, which states that she was forced to foreclose on the property at George Orr due to what she said was lack of rental payment by the tenant, and the eviction process will be handled "with professionalism."

But again, Casillas maintains she never intended to be a renter of the home, but its owner.

The post Sierra Title and escrow officer in McAllen face federal charges in alleged home-buying fraud appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- On May 17, 2024, three murder suspects who all had once each faced a capital murder charge formally accepted their sentences as part of a plea agreement.

Adam Acosta, Tristan Chilton, and Brandon Olsen pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of murder in the death of Tyler Croke, 23.

In 2017, Croke was ambushed in a friend's East El Paso apartment while showering, and was stabbed repeatedly during an attempted robbery sparked over drugs.

Seven years later, Croke's family was able to address the killers during the sentencing hearing.

This is an update to KVIA's Borderland Crimes podcast episode available in this feed from May 2022, called "We Feel Victimized All Over Again."

Learn about the family Kjersten Croke thanked during the District Attorney's news conference in the two episodes found here and here.

The post Borderland Crimes Podcast 22: “Perpetually Tortured:” Family Vows Vigilance; Killers Plead Guilty appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- In 2017, 23-year-old Tyler Croke was ambushed in a friend's East El Paso apartment, and was stabbed repeatedly.

On May 17, 2024, Adam Acosta, Tristan Chilton, and Brandon Olsen pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of murder in connection to Croke's death as part of a plea deal. That is when Croke's family was finally able to address the killers during the sentencing hearing.

The newest podcast episode, which is a follow up to an episode from May 2022, comes out Thursday. Tune in Thursday evening for ABC-7 at 10 to learn more.

The post Murder of Tyler Croke: Victim’s family vows vigilance as killers plead guilty appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- In light of the wildfires in Ruidoso, helping Southern New Mexico residents stay informed is more important than ever.

While ABC-7 posts constant updates on the KVIA News app, the KVIA website and our social media sites, one Alamogordo resident wanted to know how to get ABC-7 KVIA news on her television.

"I recently moved here from Las Cruces and cannot receive borderland news!" Sherry said in her email. "It seems we only get the Albuquerque news, which is ridiculous. I consider myself part of the borderland and would like KVIA news."

The head engineer at KVIA said Alamogordo residents should be able get our channel with a regular off-air antenna. 

"(Sherry) will probably need to pick us up from our translator," Chris Swann said, describing the technology used to carry a signal to more rural areas.

Be sure to scan your television channels; KVIA is on channel 21 in Alamogordo, Swann added.

KVIA serves both the El Paso and Las Cruces communities directly, but has over time installed translators in Alamogordo, Deming and rural parts of Las Cruces to better serve the thousands of residents in the region who are affected by, and depend on, news happening in the borderland.

And another reminder: ABC-7 has launched a new CTV (Connected Television) app for your home TV.

This means you can watch full newscasts without cable, satellite, or an antennae.

The KVIA app is available on Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV. 

All you have to do is search KVIA and download to watch the newscast stream or watch individual stories on demand.

The post ABC-7 Listens: How to get KVIA news in Southern NM appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- About two dozen people were invited to attend a private screening of the videos taken during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel.

The location was kept under wraps until roughly 24 hours before the screening in order to avoid protests or threats, according to the Israeli Consulate General of the Southwest, which organized the screening at Hotel Indigo in Downtown El Paso.

A screening at Los Angeles' Museum of Tolerance last year drew protesters by the dozens, according to reports filed by the LA Times and Variety.

In El Paso, maybe a handful of protesters stood on the street outside the hotel, according to a few attendees.

The showing of the raw, highly graphic compilation of footage has been controversial since the Israeli government began holding the screenings shortly after the attack, in which 1,139 Israeli military members, men and women of all ages, and children were killed, and more than 240 Israelis were taken hostage.

While about half of the hostages remain in Hamas captivity, the Associated Press reported on June 3 that four more Israeli men were confirmed dead, leaving 80 assumed alive among the remains of 43 people.

The 45-minute video contains footage taken from closed circuit televisions around Israel, traffic cameras, home surveillance videos, as well as cell phone videos taken by both victims and terrorists, and body cameras and dashboard cameras belonging to gunmen.

The small crowd, which included El Paso Police Dept. Chief Peter Pacillas, El Paso Deputy City Manager Mario D'Agostino, and a number of delegates attending the Texas Democratic Convention also being held downtown, was mostly silent but would gasp or groan as the brutal violence played out on screen. No cell phones or recording devices were allowed in the room.

Those who are opposed to the screenings say this is being used by the Israeli government as a tool to justify their military campaign in Gaza -- which just made headlines June 6 after 40 Palestinians, among them, children, were killed during an attack on a UN-led school.

The Israeli consul general said there are many reasons they chose to screen the videos: among them, they are trying to show the level of brutality they're facing in Hamas, and they're also trying to counter the rise of anti-Semitism in the U.S.

The post Video screening of Oct. 7 attack in Israel held in Downtown El Paso appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Political candidates in El Paso are looking ahead to the November general election, now that the May primary runoff is over.

But the results aren't the only remnants of the races. 

On May 28, dozens of spots across El Paso county morphed into polling locations, complete with voting booths, volunteers, and campaign signs.

Even though the votes have been cast, at some places, the campaign signs have not been cast aside.

ABC-7 viewer Leo emailed the newsroom with a complaint, and attached photos taken in west El Paso, two days after the election.

He wrote, "...who is in charge of clean-up? ... my children's school campus is STILL littered with campaign signs. Regardless of win or loss, the candidates should have more pride in their city and pick up after themselves."

ABC-7 reached out to the El Paso County Elections Department to find out who is in charge of picking up the signs.

They said in an email, "It's the responsibility of the candidate and/or campaigners."

Based on the signs in the photos, they are located in the parkway, which is the area located between the curb of the street and the sidewalk, or the area nearest to the edge of street paving.

According to the city code provided by the elections office, a campaign sign can only be displayed between the hours of 6:00 am and 8:00 pm on a parkway and must be taken down on a daily basis.

Both the city and elections department state that the code enforcement division of the El Paso Police Department will remove and dispose of signs in violation of the code. Signs placed at a school or any place designated as a polling site, may be removed by the school or property owner/manager.

The city urges residents with questions about political signs to call 311 for more information, or to go to ElPasoTexas.gov.

The post ABC-Listens: Campaign sign removal post-election appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Kimberly Esparza was walking home with her husband after watching a football game at a bar Sunday night when she was hit by a car and killed. The driver left the scene, and Esparza, a 32-year-old mother of two, died on the street.

More than 12 years after her death, Esparza's oldest daughter is trying to get to the bottom of what happened. She not only wants the driver to come forward, but she also questions the police report that her mother laid on the road before she was hit. The daughter claims there is evidence casting doubt on the narrative given by the sole witness to the deadly hit-and-run.

This is still an open investigation. If you have information on the hit-and-run that killed Kimberly Esparza on Nov. 7, 2011, call Crime Stoppers at (915) 566-8477.

If you are in an abusive relationship, call the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence at (915) 593-7300.

The YWCA also offers the Transitional Living Center for women in need of emergency shelter. They can be reached at (915) 519-0000. 

The post Borderland Crimes Podcast 21: Who Killed Kimberly? Daughter Seeks Answers appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- August 3, 2024 marks five years since the shooting at the Cielo Vista Walmart.

As we approach that milestone as a community, many are left wondering when the case can finally be put to rest.

A viewer wrote the ABC-7 newsroom asking a straight-forward question with, unfortunately, a not-so-simple answer.

Genaro asked, "What is taking so long to prosecute Walmart shooter Patrick Wood Crusius. I am sure the victims would like peace of mind. Why is the system abusing taxpayers' money to keep him alive. It's (been) almost five (5) years."

Crusius was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges in July.

But he is awaiting a state trial and the death penalty is on the table.

It has been almost two months since the last hearing in the 409th District Court. The prosecution said it was ready for trial, stating they provided evidence to the defense. The defense claimed it still needs months to sift through millions of documents.

Consider this: depending on the outcome of the November election, the district attorney -- the person trying the case for the state -- could be a different person.

Current District Attorney Bill Hicks, who is a Republican, is facing the winner of the Democratic primary runoff, which is between James Montoya and Alma Trejo.

Montoya is a former prosecutor in El Paso with experience as a defense attorney and a U.S. attorney. Trejo is also a onetime prosecutor and a criminal court judge here in El Paso.

Early voting starts May 20 and runs through May 24. Runoff Election Day is May 28.

Watch ABC-7 Xtra on Sunday, May 26 as Mark Ross hosts Montoya and Trejo.

The post ABC-7 Listens: The Walmart Shooting Trial appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- ABC-7 has confirmed a man awaiting a retrial after his murder conviction was overturned is allowed to live outside the state of Texas while on bond.

Leonel Hernandez was released from prison in March of this year, after he successfully appealed his 2019 conviction in the murder of Richard Madrigal.

Madrigal, a father and former radio DJ in El Paso and Las Cruces, was shot to death in his west El Paso apartment in June of 2016.

Hernandez had confessed to El Paso police and led them to the gun, which was hidden on a family’s property in New Mexico.

This case was the subject of the Borderland Crimes Podcast. Listen to the episode here or wherever you listen to podcasts.

But in 2022, the 8th Court of Appeals upheld his argument that he was wrongfully not allowed to have an expert witness testify in his murder trial.

According to the initial bond conditions set in March, Hernandez would be required to live at an address in El Paso, among other conditions.

ABC-7 found the bond conditions were updated on May 1, allowing Hernandez to reside at an address in Sunland Park, NM, while awaiting a retrial.

When asked about the bond amendment, Kelli Childress, El Paso’s Chief Public Defender, emailed a response saying in part, "Drawing a distinction between El Paso and Sunland Park for purposes of bond is illogical. State lines don’t prevent people from violating their bond conditions, nor do they encourage people to violate."

Sunland Park is located immediately west of El Paso, along the Texas-New Mexico border.

While Hernandez’s bond is set at $200,000 and he must report weekly in El Paso, the El Paso District Attorney said he was still not in agreement with the amendment.

"We believe that he is a murderer. We believe that the evidence corroborated that and corroborated the charges. And that there's a very reasonable expectation that he'll be found guilty again," said District Attorney Bill Hicks. "And because of that, that is an incentive for him to run."

Childress replied to Hicks' remark, stating, "We believe 100% in the actual innocence of Mr. Hernandez. We are grateful that his conviction was reversed and look forward to the retrial, as the evidence unequivocally supports his innocence."

Court records show there is a hearing set for next week for attorneys and the judge to discuss when to schedule Hernandez’s retrial.

The post Man’s bond now allows him to live in Sunland Park while awaiting murder retrial in El Paso appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- After nearly eight years of waiting, the family of a man found dead in the desert of Northeast El Paso has some resolution.

Aaron Anthony Zelonis pleaded guilty to murder and tampering with evidence Tuesday in the 34th District Court.

Zelonis -- wearing an orange-and-white jail jumpsuit -- was sentenced to 27 years in prison in connection with the killing of Devon Leatherbury.

Leatherbury was shot in the head and his body was found in a desert area off Dyer Street in Northeast El Paso in August 2016.

Zelonis and his father, Richard Zelonis, were arrested in June of 2018 and charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence.

Read how the case was solved, according to the El Paso Police arrest affidavits

After Aaron Zelonis was sentenced, Leatherbury's mom delivered her victim impact statement from the witness stand. 

Also on the stand, an urn containing her son's ashes. She told the court, she wanted Zelonis to see what was left of her son.

"I just, he murdered my son and put him in a plastic tote and threw him in the desert," Genette Vargas told ABC-7 after court was adjourned, choking up as she spoke. "I just, I want him to be reminded, and be reminded of what he did, and, over a gift card. So foolish to murder my son for a gift card."

The arrest affidavit states that, after Leatherbury was killed, Richard Zelonis was seen on camera at a major chain retail store using a gift card that he admitted belonged to Leatherbury.

Richard Zelonis was convicted in 2020 of tampering with physical evidence. He remains in prison as he serves a 20-year sentence. 

Vargas told ABC-7 that after enduring that trial, she felt the plea for Aaron Zelonis was "God's decision."

Richard's girlfriend at the time, Tina McKenzie, was also arrested and charged with tampering with evidence.

The arrest affidavit states she helped clean up the crime scene, then drove the victim’s body to the desert.

Her trial is set for next year.

The post El Paso man pleads guilty to 2016 murder appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Joshua Aldaz recalled the moments leading up to his brain tumor diagnosis as a scary time for him and his family.

"I fainted at school," Aldaz said. "And then my mom went to pick me up, and we went to the doctor. And that's when I found out."

The El Paso teen was 14 years old, and looking forward to a school break for Christmas, which was in four days.

Now, he was in the hospital, and soon undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.

From treatment, to dreaming up a wish

His prognosis was positive, and his doctors cleared him in June of 2019.

By then, Aldaz had learned the Make-A-Wish North Texas Chapter, which covers El Paso, selected him to be a Wish Kid.

"I would say it's a once in a lifetime opportunity, it's not something anybody can just do. it's an amazing experience and it's just a memorable thing," Aldaz said.

April is World Wish Month. This year marks 44 years since the Make-A-Wish Foundation first granted a wish to a child who was diagnosed with leukemia.

Aldaz, who was 17 when his wish came true, asked to go to Orlando, Florida, to visit Disney World and Animal Kingdom.

"The thing that I enjoyed most was I was able to bring my family with me," Aldaz said. "I didn't want to go alone; I felt like I went through it and so did my family. So, that was like, the biggest, the envisioning I had was to bring everybody with me and that's what happened."

Make-A-Wish's expanded mission

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes to kids not just with terminal illness, but also with chronic or high-risk conditions.

Dozens of El Paso kids, like Aldaz, have been fortunate enough to be granted a reprieve from their illness.

"At the end of the day, you're going through all these treatments and radiations and you just don't feel good sometimes," Aldaz said. "But when I found out I was getting my wish, it- it was something you just look forward to at the end of everything. It's the light at the end of the tunnel. It's just that one thing you want to do so badly."

Aldaz is looking forward to graduating from college and becoming a nurse, so he can help others.

El Pasoans 'Walk for Wishes'

It takes a lot of time, money and donations to make wishes come true.

And you can help!

The Make-A-Wish El Paso's Walk for Wishes is taking place Sunday, April 28 at the Shoppes at Solana (formerly Sunland Park Mall).

You have a chance to create or join a team, walk, run or simply donate to Make-A-Wish.

The post “Light at the end of the tunnel:” El Paso teen remembers Make-A-Wish experience appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Will an El Paso man who has been on death row for more than 30 years soon fulfill his sentence?

That was the question today at the center of a hearing in the County Courthouse downtown.

Today on ABC-7 at 10 we will provide you with Xtra depth on the capital murder case of Tony Ford.

In court today

Ford was not in the 34th District Court today, but his attorney Richard Burr was.

Burr argued that Judge Bill Moody should dismiss the District Attorney's motion to place Ford's execution on the calendar.

The DA's office asked Judge Moody to allow the state to schedule Ford's lethal injection for November 14, 2024.

The victim's family speaks

The father of Ford's victim, Armando Murillo Senior, delivered a passionate and emotional plea to the judge to schedule the execution so he and his adult daughters can, in his words, "get closure and be allowed to truly heal."

Ford was 18 when he was arrested, accused of a home invasion and murder at a home in East El Paso.

Myra Murillo was shot and left paralyzed. Her daughters were wounded, and her son, Armando Junior, was killed.

Ford maintained that he was not the shooter, and that he was instead the lookout for his accomplices. He also argues that he did not know anyone was going to be killed during the home invasion.

Ford's attorney today argued that the conviction was based on eyewitness testimony, which can be unreliable.

Murillo Senior told me that he believes his daughters, who survived the shooting and identified Ford as the one who pulled the trigger.

"This is too long. My case, my two daughters, even my ex, saw Tony Ford. They were this close together, not even two feet apart. And when he shot, he didn't shoot at long-distance. He put the gun right up on her head. You see, it's a tough situation. It's tough for my daughters. It's tough for my ex, too."

Murillo said he and his daughters and ex-wife have been filing letters with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Ford's accomplice

The Murillo family is urging the parole board to deny early release to Ford's accomplice, Vanjarmar Belton.

Belton was sentenced to prison until 2066 on aggravated assault and has been eligible for parole since 2006, according to the TDCJ. Belton will go before the review board in September.

Judge Moody said he will make a decision on the state's request to schedule Ford's execution no more than 6 weeks from today.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- ABC-7 obtained the bond conditions Leonel Hernandez must abide by if he wants to remain free while awaiting a retrial for murder.

Hernandez's conviction for the 2016 shooting of Richard Madrigal, a former KLAQ radio DJ, was overturned by an appeals court in 2022.

ABC-7 confirmed, Hernandez was released from prison on March 16 on a personal recognizance bond, meaning, he didn't have to pay anything to be released.

According to the document signed by the district court judge on March 6, Hernandez must abide by a curfew of 10pm to 6am and report to authorities twice a month.

He also must not come within 200 feet of any members of Madrigal's family, nor can he contact Marinda Palacios, the woman who was with Hernandez at Madrigal's west El Paso apartment when Madrigal was shot to death. And Hernandez must not possess a firearm.

Marinda spoke to ABC-7's Stephanie Valle about what she witnessed and experienced the night of Madrigal's death in a Borderland Crimes podcast episode. Listen here

On Wednesday, ABC-7 spoke to Madrigal's friend Alexis Dominguez-Garcia. She found his body in his apartment the next morning, and reported the deadly shooting to police. Dominguez-Garcia also testified in Hernandez's 2019 murder trial.

The 2019 murder trial was the focus of the Borderland Crimes podcast. Listen here

She told me learned Hernandez was released by searching public records online because she was curious about whether there had been any developments in the case.

"It just makes me kind of nervous," Dominguez-Garcia said. "I don't want to run into him. And it's, it's not fair that he gets to walk around like we all do, knowing that he did what he did."

Dominguez-Garcia teared up when asked about what she wanted people to know about Madrigal, who she referred to as Rick.

"He was just such a wonderful person," she said, dabbing at her eyes. "We're going to keep fighting, we're going to keep speaking the truth, and making sure that he gets justice."

The El Paso District Attorney's Office told ABC-7 in February they fully intend to retry the case.

Court records state there is a hearing in Hernandez's case scheduled for April 30.

The post Murder victim’s friend “nervous” accused killer is out of prison, back in El Paso on bond appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- (Originally broadcast on April 7, 2024) The campaign for president is ramping up ahead of the November election, and one viewer has a question about the actions by one campaign in particular.

It was more than five years ago when President Donald Trump came to El Paso for a 2020 presidential re-election campaign rally.

He filled the county coliseum with voters and supporters from El Paso and the region.

But the news soon shifted away from the crowds he brought, to the debt he owed the city for services provided that day.

And some El Pasoans have a long memory.

Sylvia wrote ABC-7 asking, "Did Donald Trump pay the city of El Paso the $500k+ he owes from his February 11, 2019 rally?"

ABC-7 obtained a copy of the invoice the city sent to the Trump campaign 5 years ago, in April 2019.

The initial amount due was $470,417.05.

The charges to the campaign were for services provided by the airport, the police and fire departments, Sun Metro, primarily, according to the city.

And when it didn't receive payment, the city charged a one-time late fee of 21 percent, which amounts to $98,787.58.

The grand total owed by the Trump campaign is $569,204.63.

When asked if the campaign has repaid the city, the city's spokeswoman told ABC-7 in an email, "The Trump campaign has not submitted any payments for their debt. The City continues to seek the payment of these past due."

The city went on to state, they hired the Law Offices of Snapper L. Carr back in Nov. 2020 to try to recoup the money. 

The post ABC-7 Listens: Trump campaign still owes City of El Paso appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- ABC-7 has confirmed that an El Paso man who had his 2019 murder conviction overturned by a state appellate court is no longer in prison.

The District Attorney’s Office tells ABC-7 Leonel Hernandez was released on a personal recognizance bond on March 16.

We reported back in Feb. when the state turned his case back over to the 168th district court, which is the court where Hernandez was tried for the 2016 murder of Richard Madrigal.

Madrigal, 32, was found shot to death in his west El Paso apartment on June 11, 2016.

Hernandez confessed to shooting Madrigal during an argument the night before, but the state appellate court agreed with Hernandez’s appeal that he should have been allowed to have an expert witness testify during his trial.

Hernandez was sentenced to 50 years in prison on March 22, 2019.

This case was the subject of my Borderland Crimes Podcast. Listen to the episode here.

ABC-7 reached out to Alejandro Austin, Madrigal’s older brother, to hear his response to Hernandez’s release.

“The D.A.'s office has dropped the ball on this case at every turn,” he said in an email. “I’m sure (former District Attorney Yvonne) Rosales’ mess has affected a number of cases, but this is ridiculous. We have an accused murderer who has spent four years in prison, where we are sure he didn’t pick up good habits and is also a flight risk, back in our community. We do not get a sense that this case is a priority for the DA’s office, as we are still in the dark without even an official notification of his release.”

The D.A.'s office told ABC-7 in February they fully intend to retry the case.

We are working to get the conditions of Hernandez’s bond.

Court records state there is a hearing in his case scheduled for April 30.

The post Borderland Crimes, Podcast 1 Update: El Paso man who had murder conviction overturned released on PR bond appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso Locomotive FC is composed of players from around the country and different parts of the globe.

The director of the club's Under 20 Academy told ABC-7, he'd love to see more El Pasoans on the roster.

"I always say I have the best kids, and I've been coaching for 10 years now, in the U.S.," said Ivan Militar. "They are hungry, they are motivated, they are humble, they don't care what kind of field they are playing on, if the field is a little bit bumpy: 'Okay, no problem.'"

Militar directs the Locomotive's academy for players under the age of 20, otherwise known as U-20.

Typically, U-20 athletes pay to play.

But not in El Paso.

"Our owners made a decision, which is a unique and gracious decision, that they're gonna cover the costs for all the U-20. Whether we are traveling, playing, the jerseys, coaches' salaries, are all covered by club," said Militar.

U-20 is one level below the Locomotive, and Militar said there is plenty of interaction between the players.

"Some of them train with (the Locomotive players)," Militar said. "They train in the morning, the U-20 side-to-side with the professional team."

The goal, Militar said, is for all the players on U-20 to get an offer, whether that's to go pro, or to play at the college level.

Militar, who is originally from Hungary and came to the United States on a college soccer scholarship in 2011, knows what it means to have an opportunity to play at a higher level.

"It changed my life," Militar told ABC-7. "I'll never forget when my mom gave me $200 when I left Hungary, and we didn't know when I'd come back. There was a man who told me, 'You're gonna get a full scholarship and you don't have to pay for anything,' and we were like, 'I hope that's true,' and I'm here for 14 years."

The academy just announced it's joining the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), one of the most prominent youth leagues in the nation.

Militar said this will expose El Paso players to hundreds of college coaches and scouts throughout the year.

"I don't want to use big words, but I think our owners really caused an earthquake when it comes to youth soccer here in El Paso," he added. "The college recruiting opportunities are changing lives, the professional pathway is creating something that is very unique. Not a lot of people can start somewhere in a sport and end up on a professional level, oftentimes you have to go away."

The Locomotive U-20 Academy just won a tournament a few weeks ago in Arizona against two dozen teams from across the nation. 

Learn more about the academy, along with the other youth camps offered to kids of all ages, gender, and skillsets, on the Locomotive website.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- One of the defense attorneys for a woman acquitted of murder in the death of her U.S. Army Captain boyfriend opens up about the trial and what's next for his client.

Nelson acquitted

ABC-7 reported on Feb. 29 when Clevy Muchette Nelson Royster, 30, was found not guilty of murder, manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Nelson Royster, who was an Army Captain stationed at Ft. Bliss, was accused of orchestrating from the passenger seat of her vehicle the crash that ultimately killed Ft. Bliss Capt. Malcolm Perry, 27, on Oct. 11, 2020.

Brock Benjamin, one of Nelson Royster's attorneys, spoke to ABC-7 the day after the acquittal.

"(Prosecutors) proceeded on a theory that she intended to kill him ... they didn't have any evidence of that. They tried to use what's called extraneous offenses; 'there were several fights that night.' They tried to use those, and (assistant district attorney) Michelle Hill's closing, which was, 'there's nothing like a woman scorned.'"

Case background

Benjamin said Perry and Nelson Royster had been dating off-and-on for 5 years, and had been out at various clubs that night, including Jaguars strip club in east El Paso.

Benjamin acknowledged that tempers flared between the couple during the night of the crash.

El Paso police arrested Nelson Royster several days after Perry's death, saying she owned the vehicle that caused the crash and was the passenger at the time.

It took nearly three and a half years to come to a conclusion, with Nelson Royster spending 14 months behind bars at one point.

Defendant "overwhelmed," prosecutor "disappointed"

Benjamin relayed how she reacted to the verdict.

"She was extremely, I think 'overwhelmed,' is almost the way to describe it," Benjamin said, adding, "You hear those two words, and even as a defense attorney, I mean, you feel a lot of relief. But clients, as a group, just seem to almost melt when they hear those words.

"There's nothing else that we do in the world that I can think of where you're either going to go to prison right now ... or, 'have a nice day, you get to go home," Benjamin concluded.

He said his client insisted she was innocent.

"You've got to respect a client who has enough faith in their innocence to go with the idea that no, I'm not going to ask for anything else- didn't ask for a lesser (sentence in a plea deal). And so the jury was tasked with trying to fit a version of events into something that didn't work."

District Attorney Bill Hicks told ABC-7 he was disappointed with the outcome.

"We believed in the facts of the case, we believed Miss Nelson was guilty of the offenses we charged her with. ... Unfortunately the jury didn't see it our way. That's the way it goes. We don't second-guess juries. Juries have their opinion."

What's next for Nelson; co-defendant's trial upcoming

Benjamin, who wanted to acknowledge the work he and El Paso attorney Louis Lopez did together for Nelson's defense, said their client was discharged from the Army and is now working on relocating from El Paso closer to home on the East Coast, and is looking at logistics jobs.

Police also arrested Richard Sennessie in connection to the deadly crash. Police investigators said Sennessie, who was 23 at the time of the crash, was driving Nelson's car. He is accused of purposely crashing into Perry's vehicle and intentionally killing Perry.

Court records show Sennessie's murder trial is slated for April.

Benjamin explained to ABC-7 how Sennessie and Nelson Royster knew each other, saying they had mutual friends but had only met at a club the night of the crash.

The post Woman acquitted of murder ‘overwhelmed’ by verdict, attorney says appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Jennifer Ann Crecente, 18, was a high school senior and preparing to graduate with honors. On Feb. 15, 2006, she was shot to death by a former boyfriend. Friends and family knew he was controlling, manipulative and verbally and emotionally abusive.

Despite having a felony criminal history and evidence showing he planned the shooting, Justin Crabbe was granted a plea deal of 35 years behind bars. His first parole hearing was in Aug. 2023.

Jennifer's family, including her grandmother in El Paso, now works to prevent more dating violence among teens, as well as fights to keep the killer behind bars for his full sentence.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

Warning signs of an abusive relationship:

• History of discipline problems
• Blames you for their anger
• Serious drug or alcohol use
• History of violent behavior
• Threatens others regularly
• Insults you or calls you names
• Trouble controlling feelings like anger
• Tells you what to wear, what to do, or how to act
• Threatens or intimidates you in order to get their way
• Prevents you from spending time with friends or family

The signs are posted on the website for Jennifer Ann's Group, an education and advocacy group started by Jennifer's father which holds awareness events in El Paso.

If you or someone you know needs help, call or text the El Paso Center Against Sexual & Family Violence at (915) 593-7300. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is (800) 799-7233. 

The post Borderland Crimes Podcast 20: Keeping a Killer Incarcerated appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The family of the man Las Cruces police say stabbed an officer, killing him, are extending condolences to that officer's family, and asking for their forgiveness.

The aunt of Armando Silva spoke to ABC-7 Wednesday, saying she hoped to shine a light on the lack of support for those living with mental health issues, like her nephew.

Silva was named as the man who attacked LCPD Officer Jonah Hernandez with a large kitchen knife as Hernandez responded to a trespassing call on Sunday evening. Silva was shot by a bystander and killed.

"The person who was involved in this event was not the loving, caring nephew that I knew growing up, and who I loved dearly," said Virginia Lerma.

Lerma said Silva was the son of her brother, and they called him AJ. Silva He grew up with Lerma's children, his cousins.

"Growing up, he was playful," Lerma said. "Very intelligent, until he started suffering from this condition that he had."

Lerma said Silva was diagnosed with schizophrenia in his late teens or early 20s.

"I don't know if he needed more treatment, or what happened," Lerma said. "We don't know what his state of mind was at the time that this event happened. But he, he was seeking treatment for his condition.

"As his family, we all did whatever we could to support him. To try and get him the necessary help. Our city, unfortunately, doesn't have the necessary resources to help the many persons afflicted by mental illness," Lerma added, later referring to the closure of the Dona Ana County Crisis Triage Center earlier this month.

Lerma said she also wanted to correct what police had said about Silva being homeless.

"His mother worked three jobs to pay for his apartment, so that he would not be sleeping in the streets. He had a bed to sleep in every night," she said.

As Silva's family planned his funeral on Tuesday, Lerma said they are grieving the 29-year-old man they tried desperately to protect.

"AJ was a loving, caring, part of our family. We're left with the memory of him, and we're mourning him," Lerma said. "He was a human being that we loved dearly. And I hope that everyone can forgive him because that was not our AJ that we knew. ... His mental illness was just so overwhelming and it controlled his life."

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- An El Paso man who successfully argued an appeal to overturn his 2019 murder conviction is now officially awaiting a date for a retrial.

ABC-7 confirmed that the State of Texas' 8th Court of Appeals denied a motion by the El Paso District Attorney for discretionary review of the appeal filed by Leonel Hernandez, who was convicted of the 2016 murder of Rick Madrigal in June 2016.

The murder was the subject of the first Borderland Crimes podcast episode. Listen to the episode here.

Madrigal once worked as a radio DJ for KLAQ. He was found shot inside his West El Paso apartment unit in June 2016.

ABC-7 reported in May 2022 when the Texas 8th Court of Appeals ruled in Hernandez's favor, who argued that his conviction was in error because the trial court wrongfully kept his expert witness from testifying.

In January, the 8th Court of Appeals issued a denial of the D.A.'s motion, therefore upholding its ruling to overturn Hernandez's conviction.

Hernandez has been in prison on a 50-year sentence since he was found guilty nearly five years ago, in March 2019.

District Attorney Bill Hicks said in response to the ruling, "The error that was found doesn't affect our ability to retry the case ... We feel very strongly with the facts of the case and the guilt of person who was charged -- and we will proceed as soon as the 168th District Court is able to schedule it."

As of Feb. 12, the case has not been scheduled for a hearing.

The post Appellate court upholds ruling to overturn El Paso man’s murder conviction appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- ABC-7 has obtained the mugshots of all 11 suspects facing capital murder charges in the unsolved shooting of Terrance Kinard Jr. in 2019.

David Lee Moore, Miguel Aquino Ferrer, Marcus Kaleb Moore, Juan Manuel Noria, Obadiah John President, Jeremiah Deshawn Perkins, Bryanna Lovett, Deyone Quartaril Bridges, Savannah Mariyah Smith, Jacob Alexander Willis, and Joshua Cecil Davis are all facing charges of capital murder-retaliation against a judge or justice and engaging in organized criminal activity.

View the mugshots at the end of this article.

All the suspects are currently in El Paso detention facilities.

The release of the mugshots comes days after ABC-7 reported on the arrest of Joshua Davis, the 11th suspect in the case.

Davis was extradited from South Dakota in January.

A majority of the arrests occurred in December, when ABC-7 first reported the police had made a major break in the murder of Kinard, a local rapper and father who was shot outside a house in Northeast El Paso on Jan. 26, 2019.

Meantime, Bryanna Lovett’s bond reduction hearing scheduled for today was postponed at the request of her attorney.

Attorney Joshua Spencer told Judge Patrick Garcia, there was “a development in the case.” He did not divulge what the development was, and the hearing was not rescheduled on a new date before the court was dismissed.

Court records show that Lovett and Jacob Willis are both scheduled for a jury trial on July 19, 2024.

Juan Noria is scheduled for a jury trial on Oct. 7, 2024.

Jeremiah Perkins, Joshua Davis, Miguel Ferrer, Obadiah President, and Marcus Moore are set for trial Oct. 14 of this year.

David Moore’s trial was also set for that date, but it has been cancelled because the case is being moved to a different court.

Deyone Bridges and Savannah Smith currently do not have trial dates scheduled.

Listen to this episode of the Borderland Crimes podcast here.

The post Police release mugshots of 11 suspects in Terrance Kinard capital murder case appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- ABC-7 has confirmed through online court records that an 11th suspect in a years-old murder case has now been arrested and booked into the El Paso County Jail.

Court records show that Joshua Cecil Davis was booked into the jail annex on Jan. 6.

Jail records show that Davis was living in South Dakota. He is charged with capital murder for retaliation on a judge/justice, engaging in organized criminal activity and direct activities of street gangs.

He is the latest suspect arrested in connection with Terrance “TK” Kinard, Jr. Kinard was shot outside a house in Northeast El Paso on Jan. 26, 2019. He was a 20-year-old local rapper, alum of Chapin High School, and a father.

Kinard’s murder went unsolved until ABC-7 learned of multiple arrests in the case in Dec. 2023.

There technically have been 12 arrests in this case, but the charges against one of the defendants had to be dropped because he was a minor at the time of the shooting death. The County Attorney’s office is in charge of prosecuting juveniles. ABC-7 is checking if it has received the case from the District Attorney’s Office.

ABC-7 is requesting a mugshot for Davis. The El Paso Police Department has previously declined releasing mugshots for the 10 other suspects in their custody, citing the ongoing investigation.

The post 11th suspect in Terrance Kinard Capital Murder case now in custody appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Maria Luisa Corral was found dead on April 29, 2005.

The 20-year-old had been beaten and strangled; her lifeless body was shoved inside a bedroom closet of the Lower Valley home belonging to the mother of Corral's boyfriend, 19-year-old Richard Flores. 

Flores had thrown himself a birthday party at the house the night before, and was nowhere to be found. 

With a history of violence between the couple, El Paso police suspected Flores killed Corral. 

He was ultimately arrested, convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

This is a tragic case of dating violence.

The couple had been together off-and-on for four years. They had three children, all under the age of three at the time of the murder, who were suddenly without parents.

Nearly 20 years since Corral's murder, one of their daughters, now 21, opens up about her mom and why she wants people to know what happened.

If you or someone you know needs help, call or text the El Paso Center Against Sexual & Family Violence at (915) 593-7300. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is (800) 799-7233. 

The post Borderland Crimes Podcast 19: “I want my mother’s story known” – The murder of Mary Corral appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- It's never too late to fall in love, again. That's not just the theme behind ABC's The Golden Bachelor.

One El Paso couple is proving that marriage isn't just for the young, and that marriage later in life isn't just reality TV fodder.

Ana and Bill Navarrete met 12 years ago at a Super Bowl party. But they didn't date until two years later, and then they dated for ten years.

"Marriage was not something that we were really thinking about. It wasn't the goal," Ana Laura Navarrete said. "But we were so happy together, and I think that's what makes our relationship special."

The pair ended up tying the knot Sept. 21, 2023.

"When we decided to get married, especially for Mr. Eternal Bachelor over here-" they both laughed as Ana looked over at Bill, "It was because we wanted to, not because we had to, or because anything was pressing us to do so. It was something we wanted to do to honor our love and our commitment."

They had a destination wedding, getting married in Tuscany -- which was Bill's suggestion.

"If this is gonna be my first time, it better be in Tuscany," Bill said, laughing.

Bill is 58 had not been married before. But he said, it wasn't because he didn't want to be in a committed relationship.

"You know when the time is right and you're not being pressured by anything other than your heart," he said.

Ana is 54. She was married at 20, and it lasted 6 years. She now has two adult children and two grandchildren, who call Bill their grandpa.

Ana says their love is shaped by their life experience.

"Now, I can appreciate that I know what I want and I can appreciate a good thing when I see it," she said. "I think when we're younger, we're just not wise enough to see that."

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- ABC-7 confirmed Friday the number of people linked to the murder of a local rapper is now up to 11.

Terrance Kinard's death was the first murder of 2019 and had gone unresolved until several days ago.

A check of online court records showed two additional case numbers for co-defendants facing charges of capital murder for retaliation and engaging in organized criminal activity in the shooting death of Terrance Kinard, Jr.

Kinard was shot outside a house in Northeast El Paso on January 26, 2019.

The two latest suspects are David Lee Moore and Jeremiah Deshawn Perkins, according to the court records.

El Paso County jail records show Moore and Perkins were both booked into the El Paso county jail downtown on Dec. 21.

When ABC-7 requested the mugshots for the first 8 suspects charged with Kinard's murder, El Paso police declined to release them, saying the case was still under investigation.

On Dec. 13, ABC-7 confirmed three arrests, then three more by Dec. 15. The three additional arrests -- one of those was a minor at the time of the shooting -- were confirmed on Dec. 19.

All these arrests come early 5 years after Kinard's death.

Listen to the ABC-7's Borderland Crimes podcast episode about the case here or on your preferred listening platform.

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This episode of the Borderland Crimes Podcast won a 2024 National Edward R. Murrow Award.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- On Dec. 4, 2001, the man behind a chilling crime that stunned the El Paso community was arrested. David Renteria was charged with capital murder in the death of Alexandra Flores, 5, who had gone missing more than two weeks earlier from the Lower Valley Walmart.

Renteria was ultimately convicted and sentenced to death. That sentence was carried out on Nov. 16, 2023.

ABC-7 anchor and Borderland Crimes podcast producer Stephanie Valle served as a media witness to Renteria's execution in Huntsville, TX. The only English-language broadcast journalist from El Paso to be in the prison chronicled the lead-up to the lethal injection and the aftermath.

This is an update to Borderland Crimes Podcast 11: Lured from the Toy Aisle - The Kidnapping and Murder of Alexandra Flores.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- At long last, there is a conclusion in the case centered around a deadly shooting outside an east El Paso bar in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2017. The suspected shooter, Moises Galvan, 19, was arrested at the scene. Galvan was accused of murdering RJ Franco, 22, and gravely wounding Franco's friend, David Ortega.

Galvan claimed the shooting happened in self-defense.

It took nearly 7 years, two trials -- one of those, a mistrial -- a trial judge recusal, and several rotations of both defense and prosecuting attorneys for an El Paso jury to finally deliberate and deliver a verdict.

This is an update to the Borderland Crimes podcast episode 12: "A Murder Investigation, a Mistrial, and Misconduct Allegations."

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- David Renteria is set to be executed Nov. 16 in Huntsville, Texas.

The El Paso man has been on death row since being convicted of the 2001 kidnapping and killing of Alexandra Flores, 5, in a crime that stunned the El Paso community.

One person who will be a witness to Renteria's execution is Ignacio Frausto, one of Alexandra's brothers.

"Alexandra was very fun. Very funny. She was a funny character," Frausto said. "She loved her dolls. She loved to play with the dolls. She constantly liked to poke at us, the older siblings."

Alexandra Flores was the baby of the family.

And Frausto, who was nine years older, was one of those "older siblings."

His face just lit up when he described his little sister.

"She had that laugh, you know, contagious to make everybody laugh. And she was really cute. And we just wanted to make her laugh even more. Because, you know, that's, that's very contagious," he said.

But it clearly still hurt Frausto talk about what happened to Alexandra on Nov. 18, 2001.

"My older brother and I were in the northeast playing basketball. And he gets a call from my dad, (saying) in Spanish, "Vengase para ca, vamos a encontrar Alexandra." So I was just thinking, Alexandra was just being herself. She was just hiding, playing, playing hide and go seek at the store," Frausto said.

Frausto and his brother began driving to the Walmart on Alameda to help find his younger sister.

"On the way there, you know, I kind of felt like, this is getting serious," he said. "We haven't received a call back saying, 'We found her.'"

Once they arrived, they saw the Walmart was being evacuated, and people weren't allowed to leave the parking lot.

Frausto and his brother started to search for Alexandra, he said.

"Just driving up and down the parking lot, just looking into cars. ... so the search continued to like three, four in the morning; we expanded our search to- there's a canal, like a drainage canal, and in the rear of Walmart right by the train tracks, I remember walking the train tracks, walking by the canal, going down to the port of entry, the Zaragoza port of entry, and standing there literally checking every car going south we're doing that," Frausto said, then he stopped and choked up. 

"It's just horrible. I didn't want to go home because Alexandra wasn't home."

Alexandra didn't make it home.

Her body was found the following morning at a parking structure in west central El Paso, miles from where she was last seen.

"Alexandra was not found in time or with her life. But even up to now, he's still breathing. He's living his life. A life," Frausto said, referring to Renteria.

As the 22nd anniversary of Alexandra's death approaches, so does the scheduled death for Renteria.

"I want to see it through," Frausto said. "I was too young, not having the maturity that I have now, when we're going through the trial, to comprehend and grasp everything."

Frausto was 14 when his sister was killed.

But he said he's unsure how he will feel once Renteria is executed.

"He gets to die peacefully. From what we learned on the case, my little sister suffered. And I'm not saying make him suffer. Because I'm not the type of man. But he has it easy. He's had it easy. Solitary confinement, being protected," Frausto said.

It is customary for death row inmates to be given an opportunity to deliver last words before the execution. Renteria has maintained he was only responsible for taking Alexandra from the Walmart, not for her murder. He declined ABC-7 request for an interview.

When asked if Frausto would want to say anything to Renteria, he replied, "Like my victim impact statement at the trial, I remember telling him I will not forgive him. Only God will forgive them. I still stand with the same words that I said to him."

Frausto has spent 19 years working in the El Paso District Attorney's Office, first as a victim's advocate, now as the office's chief investigator.

It's a career path he said was inspired by his family's experience with the criminal justice system.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Several new state laws that went into effect Sept. 1 of this year will have a direct impact on victims of domestic violence and the people who target them, which ABC-7 chose to highlight as October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Senate Bill 578 allows people who are applying for a protective order to keep their county of residence private. This would help a domestic violence victim stay hidden from their batterer if they moved counties, especially to a lesser-populated area.

Rep. Joe Moody, (D) El Paso Dist. 78, authored a bill that had a similar version in the Texas Senate. SB 1717 affects the prosecution of stalking behavior, allowing testimony into the court record in order to add context to how behavior by the stalker affects the victim.

HB 1432 has reduced the scrutiny that a judge has to use to issue a protective order. Previously, the applicant had to both prove family violence happened in the past and that it could happen in the future.

Now, the second question is not asked, meaning a judge only has to ask whether domestic violence occurred before issuing a protective order.

ABC-7 approached both a private attorney and the County Attorney's Office to find out how this change will affect people in El Paso who are seeking protective orders.

Aaron Setliff, the trial chief of the County Attorney's Protective Order Unit, called it "a game changer."

"It is sometimes hard for prosecutors to show the future, right, and so we would sometimes lose in our efforts to get a protective order because we were unable to show violence was likely to happen in the future, particularly around dating violence," Setliff said. "For instance, if someone was dating, then broken up and they don't live near each other, how would I show they would come back into contact?"

Elena Grasheim, a partner with Wyatt Underwood, said she found the new law "concerning." 

"It can be used as a retaliatory measure," Grasheim said, then set up a scenario. "'I'm going to come back in six months and file a protective order against you, and say that we got into this argument where you pushed me six months ago.'

"Before, that was easy to defend because it was unlikely to occur in the future, because they were not together anymore and there was no reason for this," Grasheim said. "At this point in time, with the new law, the judge's hands would almost be tied because if that push is proven, that family violence, the protective order would be granted."

According to the County Attorney's Office, El Paso County courts issued nearly a thousand protective orders during the last fiscal year. More than a third pertained to stalking and nearly half were due to family violence.

Grasheim acknowledged El Paso's family violence problem is large and widespread. But she pointed out, protective orders are a civil measure meant to prevent, not punish, domestic violence.

"I think it's going to be absolutely more difficult to defend, especially when I think there are times that a protective order is filed in order to gain an advantage in a custody litigation matter," she said. "If the court finds that family violence has occurred, that can be used in a custody case when the court is determining conservatorship."

When asked if he felt that people will argue that the change in the law will infringe on the rights of those who are on the receiving end of the protective orders, Setliff paused before continuing. "So, I readily admit, I have a bias on this. I come from this work. I believe in protective orders. I believe in helping to make intimate partners safe from their batterers. I do. So, I readily full disclosure on that," he said. "I think it's super important. You have to weigh the freedom that people are talking about, with someone's need to get safe."

According to the Texas Council on Family Violence, the number of people who sought a shelter to escape an abusive relationship went up 25 percent in 2022.

During the 2023 Texas Legislative Session, legislators also funded family violence centers across the state, including in El Paso.

Setliff said the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence (CASFV) will receive a portion of the $88 million allocated to centers statewide over two years.

The overall amount is up about $10 million from the last legislative session.

CASFV provides shelter, counseling, job readiness, safety-oriented approaches to violence, prevention classes and behavior intervention plans for offenders.

The post Concerning, or a game changer? Attorneys weigh in on new laws that regulate protective orders appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Texas is gearing up for a heated primary election in the upcoming race for one of its U.S. Senate seats.

While the general election is well over a year from now, in November of 2024, the race against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who is pursuing a third term, is already filling with candidates.

The latest democrat throwing his hat in the ring is state Sen. Roland Gutierrez.

He came to El Paso this weekend to visit with potential voters and spread the word about the upcoming primary election.

Gutierrez's district encompasses 17 counties, from Brewster where Big Bend National Park is located, to San Antonio, and it includes Eagle Pass and Uvalde.

He was in office when the shooting happened at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24, 2022.

Gutierrez told ABC-7 he had to sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to view the hundreds of hours of law enforcement body camera images, showing the horrific aftermath where 19 children and 2 teachers were killed. He also closely followed the investigation into the botched response.

Gutierrez said he is running for U.S. Congress to make change.

"When I go back to Uvalde: if you look at the failed policies of Republican control over 30 years, failed Republican government policies killed those kids," Gutierrez said. "Loose gun laws have led to a rise in crime.

"I own a bunch of guns," He added. "Even Republicans agree with me that we need common sense gun reform, and we need to raise the age limit on access to rifles, assault rifles, to 21."

Gutierrez says he is the product of immigrants who came to the United States from Mexico.

His professional background is in law, and he worked as an immigration attorney before entering politics.

Gutierrez was a member of the Texas House for 11 years before being elected to the Texas Senate in 2021.

In a one-on-one interview with ABC-7, Gutierrez said he has been seeing what is happening in El Paso as the continuing surge of migrants has been entering the country.

And he thinks there is a problem with immigration.

"I'm not for open borders. But we need to have a country of origin program that marries people with jobs in the United States, (that) gets them off coming to the border in this way," Gutierrez said. "(It) does the background check, gives them proper transport; we need to get the cartels out of this business because all they're doing is hurting people."

Another elected official is running on the Democratic ballot for the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred was also in El Paso for a campaign stop in August.

Sen. Ted Cruz is facing several Republican challengers in the primary, which is set for March 5, 2024.

Check your registration status here.

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Update: The jury has found Galvan guilty of murder and of aggravated assault. The court ordered the jury to return tomorrow. ABC-7 is working to learn when the sentencing will happen.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The defense team for a man accused in a 2017 deadly shooting rested its case, then was allowed to reopen to interview a long-sought after witness who agreed to testify in court.

The defense attorney for Moises Galvan, who is accused of murdering RJ Franco outside an east El Paso bar, had asked the visiting judge Dick Alcala to allow him to enter the witness' statement to police after the Jan. 29, 2017 shooting as testimony. Greg Anderson told Alcala the prior judge allowed that during the previous trial.

This is Galvan's second trial. The first, which took place over nearly a month in the summer of 2019, ended in a mistrial and the judge was removed from hearing the retrial.

Listen to the Borderland Crimes podcast episode about the case and what led to the mistrial

Prosecutor John Briggs objected, saying the witness isn't in court not because he was unavailable, but because he simply didn't show up to court. Briggs added the prosecution wouldn't be able to cross-examine the witness' statement.

Anderson said if the statement isn't allowed to be used as testimony, he would request a continuance of the trial, meaning he was asking to postpone. He added that the witness had gone to the district attorney's office last week, he had spoken to prosecutors, and the prosecutors knew what he was going to say, adding that this was "prejudice shown to my client."

Briggs confirmed the meeting, but said they did not think the witness' testimony would benefit the trial. He said they issued a subpoena for the witness once they knew the defense wanted him to take the stand.

"He has chosen to blow off his subpoena," Briggs said.

Judge Alcala denied both defense requests.

Once the jury was seated, both the defense and prosecution rested their cases and the court broke for lunch.

Upon resuming the trial, the defense asked the judge if he could reopen the case. The witness who had been sought was called on the phone, agreed to testify, and was at the courthouse.

The witness told the jury he couldn't remember much of what he saw or heard the night of the shooting, and the defense rested once again.

Closing arguments are set to begin Friday morning.

The post El Paso jury finds Moises Galvan guilty of murder appeared first on KVIA.

El Paso, TEXAS (KVIA) -- A man accused of murder took the stand Wednesday in his own defense.

Moises Galvan is accused of shooting and killing RJ Franco, 22, outside a bar in east El Paso in January of 2017.

This is his second trial, after the first ended in a mistrial in 2019.

On Tuesday, Franco's best friend David Ortega testified they were approached by Galvan in the bar, that they stepped outside, and then he saw Galvan raise his arm and fire at Franco.

Both Franco and Ortega were shot multiple times.

Galvan -- who was 19 at the time of the shooting and is now 25 -- told the court he was scared of Ortega and Franco

because their group of friends had beat him up in 2016 to the point he needed hospital care.

Galvan testified, that, while in the parking lot, he thought they were going to kill him. Galvan said he heard someone put something to his chest and say, "It's loaded. Get him." Galvan said he took the item from Ortega, thinking it was a BB gun until it fired, adding, “Prior to the first shot going off I had no knowledge …  it was a gun.”

A bouncer for the establishment testified that he didn't see a gun on Galvan, and that Franco and Ortega were regulars and he didn't check them for weapons.

But under cross-examination, the bouncer said he did not pat down Galvan when he went into the bar.

Listen to the Borderland Crimes podcast episode about the case and what led to the mistrial.

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EL PASO, TX (KVIA)-Convicted child killer David Renteria has his execution date back on the calendar, according to a source with information about the case.

In an email, a spokesman with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice also confirmed Renteria’s death is rescheduled for his original date.

ABC-7 confirmed that on Sept. 8, the judge in the 327th District Court - Monique Velarde Reyes - had vacated the date for the execution, set for Nov. 16, 2023, in order to comply with a motion filed by Renteria’s attorney to see the state’s file.

The 327th is the trial court where the capital murder trial was held for David Renteria in 2003.

Renteria was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2001 kidnapping and murder of Alexandra Flores, 5. Flores was seen on surveillance cameras of the Lower Valley Walmart leaving the store with a man identified as Renteria. Her body was found in a parking structure by Cathedral High School the following morning, partially burned.

The DA had filed a writ of mandamus, which means he asked the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to compel the trial court judge to vacate her motion to remove the date from the execution calendar.

According to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals website, he appellate court sided with the DA by “granting relief” to his writ, removing the trial court judge’s orders and reinstating the execution on the calendar.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The Nov. 16, 2023 execution date that had been scheduled for David Renteria is no longer on the Texas Department of Criminal Justice calendar, and the department confirmed to ABC-7 that was due to an order issued by the trial court in El Paso County.

Renteria was convicted of the 2001 murder of Alexandra Flores, 5, and was sentenced to death in 2003. Flores was seen on Walmart surveillance video leaving the store with a man who was later identified as Renteria. Flores' partially burned body was found the following day, the morning of Nov. 19, 2001, in a parking structure near downtown El Paso.

327th District Court Judge Monique Velarde Reyes issued a ruling at the end of August, according to court records. The coordinator for the 327th told ABC-7 over the phone Thursday that the court cannot comment on the case because it is under an appeals process.

District Attorney Bill Hicks told ABC-7 in an interview Thursday, the court had issued orders to both the D.A.'s office to open its case file to Renteria's defense attorneys, and to remove the execution date from the calendar while the attorneys review the file.

In response, the D.A. has filed a writ of mandamus with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, asking the court to force Judge Velarde to vacate her orders and reinstate the execution date.

Currently, the Court of Criminal Appeals is mulling over the legalities of the orders and the merit of the writs. A decision could be issued in a matter of weeks.

This is a developing story. Stay with ABC-7 for any updates.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. 

Each September, ABC-7 focuses on a family who has had a child battle cancer in order to shed light not just on the ordeal, also explore the options for both support and treatment in the Borderland.

At the beginning of August, Aurora Valdez started 5th grade at Harmony School of Science in Far East El Paso. She's in class, making friends and enjoying the start of the school year.

It's a far cry from where she was at this time last year -- recovering from a cancer diagnosis that ultimately left her susceptible to multiple illnesses. One of those almost cost the 10-year-old girl her life.

"All (of) 2022 was in and out of the hospital," said Rachell Rico, Aurora's mom.

It started in Dec. 2021, when Aurora began telling her mother that her legs hurt. It culminated on New Year's Eve, when they were shopping at the outlet mall.

"While we were walking, she couldn't stand the pain," Rico said. "Like, she was crying because of the pain. And that's when I was like, 'That's not normal. We have to go to the doctor.'"

Rico called the doctor Monday, set up an appointment for Tuesday, and then the lab ran blood tests on Wednesday. Friday, Rico got a call from the doctor's office. "(He) said, 'We have to see her today,' and I (thought), 'It's leukemia.' I just knew," Rico recounted as her eyes welled up with tears.

Aurora was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She spent a month in El Paso Children's Hospital, undergoing treatment until there were no detectable cancer cells in her bone marrow or blood.

But that wasn't the end of Aurora's recovery. It was the start of a year-long battle to live.

"She did get some adverse reactions to some of the medications. She got pancreatitis twice," said Rico. In November of 2022, she contracted cytomegalovirus, known as CMV, which is related to the viruses that cause chickenpox, herpes simplex and mononucleosis. For most people, it's manageable. For immunocompromised people like Aurora, it was dire.

"She did end up in PICU," Rico said. "Her lungs were failing on her."

She was intubated for three days.

Once they tried removing the breathing tube, Aurora suffered a coughing fit so severe she ruptured her lung tissue.

"I remember seeing the blood in the tube, and it was crazy," Rico recalled. "Nurses were coming in, and they were so quiet. They weren't really talking to us. We were processing it."

But she didn't realize how grave the situation was until the next morning, when Aurora's doctor visited Rico and her husband at Aurora's bedside.

"He was the one who told us, 'You know what, we're doing as much as we can, and this is the highest (oxygen level) that she can go. Anything higher would be more of a risk to her, so we need to think about all our options,'" Rico said as she recalled the doctor's words.

She paused, choking back tears. "She was weighing about 20 kgs (44.01 lbs), maybe less, and CPR is way too strenuous on the body. And we took that hard decision of signing a DNR, and placing all our hopes on God, and her, to come back."

Rico wiped her eyes and looked over at her daughter, who was fidgeting with her fingers as she sat by her mom's side. "And here she is," she finished, smiling.

Aurora woke up on Christmas Day 2022 after a month in a medically induced coma. Miraculously alive, but now dependent on a wheelchair. For most of the time she was in a coma, an IV had been leaking into the tissue in her leg, causing Aurora intense pain when she was awakened.

"Her foot hurt. She couldn't move it; we couldn't touch it. Any touch, she would scream," Rico said. "It was the worst part because we couldn't do anything for the pain. So since then, she hasn't been able to bear weight completely on it."

Aurora has had a few exciting mobility milestones this summer.

At the Candlelighters summer camp in Ruidoso, Aurora began walking towards her mom along the lakeside, so Rico grabbed her phone and recorded the moment.

When asked what prompted her to walk after not having done so for months, Aurora replied, "Because I didn't want to get my butt dirty!" But she later, more seriously, added, "I was nervous."

While she hasn't walked like that since, Aurora did swim -- with dolphins.

For her tenth birthday, which was Aug. 2, she and her parents, along with her older brother and younger sister, took a trip to Florida, courtesy of the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

"It was really, really, really nice to be down there, especially because last year we were in and out of the hospital so much," Rico said, smiling widely, looking at Aurora. "She's really, really strong."

Candlelighters is holding the Walk of Hope on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Ascarate Park. It's in honor or in memory of those who are fighting or have lost their battle to cancer.

Sign up to walk or donate to Candlelighters here.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Jury selection begins Friday in the case of a man accused of killing another man in a parking lot at the El Paso International Airport.

Bernard Walter Christmann, 52, is charged with first-degree murder.

He's been held in the El Paso County Jail on a $1.25 million bond since his arrest on Dec. 3, 2021.

Christmann is accused of killing Juan Anzaldo, 49, on Nov. 19, 2021. Anzaldo, a Southwest Airlines employee, was preparing to leave work at the time.

The police affidavit stated Anzaldo called a colleague to tell him his tires were slashed. The affidavit stated, when the colleague asked Anzaldo who he thought vandalized his car, Anzaldo mentioned the "ex-husband to his current girlfriend." The colleague told police that he then heard Anzaldo talking to a man, before hearing a scuffle and Anzaldo yelling for help.

The police affidavit stated Anzaldo had been dating Christmann's wife for over a year prior to his death. The affidavit also stated that El Paso police investigators found blood and detailed notes in Christmann's truck with Andalzo's name, phone number, home address as well as notes detailing Andalzo's whereabouts on certain days.

The trial is scheduled to begin Monday in the 243rd District Court.

If he's convicted, Christmann faces 5 to 99 years in prison.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Days after an El Paso magistrate judge declined to charge a man accused of carrying a gun towards a crowd outside a Cincinnati Entertainment District bar, a grand jury indicted him on two counts of terroristic threat related to the incident.

Andres Gabriel Lodoza, 22, had been arrested Saturday after officers and agents from several different law enforcement agencies saw him walking towards a crowd near the Cincinnati Entertainment District by UTEP with a rifle. Read about the arrest here.

Magistrate judge Sara Priddy declined to press terroristic threat charges against Lodoza, according to police. ABC-7 looked into what it takes to be charged with terroristic threat.

El Paso police announced Wednesday night, investigators took their case against Lodoza to the District Attorney's Office. Police said in a news release the case they presented was for a felony terroristic threat, which is a third-degree felony.

The District Attorney's Office then presented the case to a Grand Jury, which indicted Lodoza. The 120th Judicial District Court issued two arrest warrants for Lodoza Wednesday with a total bond $55,000.

Lodozawas booked into the El Paso County jail.

A conviction on a third-degree felony in Texas carries between 2 and 10 years in jail.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The presiding juror of the Facundo Chavez capital murder trial opened up to ABC-7 about the deliberation process.

Chavez was found guilty on Aug. 3, 2023 of killing El Paso County Sheriff's Deputy Peter Herrera during a traffic stop in San Elizario on March 22, 2019.

The two-week long trial culminated with the jury ultimately deciding Chavez should receive the death penalty. The last capital murder trial to end in a death sentence in El Paso County was in 2014.

Brooks Vandivort served as the presiding juror, meaning he helped keep the 11 other jurors focused in order to come to a verdict.

"The hardest things (to see) were the body cam and dashcam footage from Deputy Herrera, and the deputies who showed up on scene. Very, very difficult," Vandivort added.

The body and dash cam videos were instrumental to the prosecution's case. The videos from Herrera's cameras showed Chavez pulling the trigger 15 times, hitting Herrera 10 times, then hitting Herrera with the weapon numerous times before running away. Other videos from responding deputies showed Herrera bleeding on the ground, asking for help, as they tended to his wounds before ambulances arrived.

"The defense gave an example that if this crime had not been filmed, would the deliberations be different?" Vandivort said. "I assume that is probably a possibility, but everything was cut and dry when it came to the act.

"Video or not, I think the verdict would have been absolutely the same," he added.

The jury reached a unanimous verdict of guilt in about 40 minutes. It took longer to come to a decision on whether Chavez should receive life in prison or the death penalty.

The jury was sequestered after a verdict wasn't reached on the first day of deliberations, meaning the jurors could not return to their homes or have contact with family members.

On the second day of deliberations, after 10 hours total, the jury verdict of death was read aloud to the courtroom.

Vandivort said it was important to him for the sake of everyone involved that the jury be in agreement on the sentence, and more so, to be at peace with their decision. But he called it "a gut punch" knowing they are responsible for Chavez's ultimate death by lethal injection at the hands of the State of Texas.

"I certainly did not have to go through everything the Herrera family, or the deputies that work in El Paso County, had to go through. So I'm not going to compare my experience to everything they had to go through," Vandivort said. "But as a citizen off the street, being called to jury duty and being put in this room with eleven other strangers, it's a very difficult decision and it's one that we discussed: If this case doesn't call for the death penalty, what case does?"

"It was not an easy decision," Vandivort continued. "(Deliberations) easily could've gone four days. It was very, very difficult." 

Ultimately, Vandivort reached out to ABC-7 because he hoped this could shed light on the importance of jury duty -- a civic responsibility so many Americans try to avoid.

"Cases that go to trial that require a jury are very significant cases, and it's a humbling responsibility to take that on," Vandivort said. "So, I encourage everyone to grin and bear it, go do their civic duty, and hope and pray they're never in that courtroom on the defense side and need a jury of their peers to determine their fate." 

Chavez remains in the El Paso county jail awaiting transfer to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison system. He will serve at the Polunsky unit, about 77 miles northeast of Houston in Livingston, TX, which is where death row inmates are housed.

The post Chavez juror speaks to ABC-7: “If this case doesn’t call for the death penalty, which case does?” appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Nearly two years after her 23-year-old son was shot and killed and no one was arrested, a mom is insisting to ABC-7 that there is more to this investigation than what witnesses told El Paso police.

It has taken almost a year for ABC-7 to navigate through the conflicting stories, that all begin on Nov. 5, 2021.

That evening, police officers were called to a house on Vere Leasure Drive, on El Paso's eastside.

Someone had been shot.

Later that night, police confirmed Aram Sida, 23, was killed.

At the time, ABC-7 reported that police announced that Sida's death was "justifiable" and there would be no charges filed against the resident of the home and shooter, Hunter Joseph.

The revelation that there would be no arrest stunned Sida's mother, Veronica Martinez.

"He had barely turned 23," said Martinez. "He used to write songs. He said one day he was going to be an artist and make a lot of albums and become a star, and- and the way he was taken away from me, it's like, it's not fair."

Martinez reached out to ABC-7 in Aug. 2022 to talk about the investigation into her son's death.

She said she first got a phone call from her own father, telling her he was hearing from police that something happened to Sida. Shortly after that call, detectives arrived at her house.

"He said, 'We have some bad news to give you,' and I was like, 'What happened?'" Martinez recalled. "He's like, 'Your son went into a house and he got shot.'"

It was a few days after the deadly shooting when police issued a news release stating Joseph acted in self-defense, and they would not be pressing charges against Joseph. The police said Sida was the aggressor in the confrontation that resulted in his death.

Police interviewed the two people who were inside the house when Sida was shot. One was Joseph and the other was Divine Tarin. According to the police report, on Nov. 5, 2021, Tarin and Joseph were getting intimate when they heard shouting outside, and suddenly, Sida burst into the house.

Tarin told police, Sida was yelling at her, demanding she give him back a phone he had lent her the day before. Tarin said he was also calling her names and pushing her to the ground.

Then she heard Sida say to Joseph, "You want some of this," before she heard gunshots.

The autopsy shows Sida was shot through the back of the neck.

Tarin said that Sida told her he was dying as she tried to stop the bleeding, but then she left to find Hunter, who was outside. They didn't go back into the house.

By the time police arrived, Sida had died. Police found a pocket knife on the scene and a broken door in Joseph's home. Joseph told police he didn't want to shoot Sida.

Martinez told ABC-7 she takes issue with many things in the police report, mainly, that Tarin identified herself as Joseph's girlfriend and Sida's ex-girlfriend.

"I want answers as to how my son got there," Martinez said. "They put him as a jealous person. ... No. They're together. They've been together for the longest time. You cannot tell me that."

But Martinez she didn't have much more to bolster her beliefs, other than mother's instinct. She told ABC-7, if she knew her son's relationship with a woman who witnessed his shooting would be questioned by police, she would have taken more photos of them when they were together at her home -- which she said occurred in the days before his death.

Martinez didn't have evidence of their ongoing relationship until April 2023. That is when police released Sida's belongings to her -- including his cell phone.

Police told her they couldn't unlock it.

She approached ABC-7 again, saying she was able to open the phone using a combination of numbers in a notebook Sida had given her when he needed help opening a bank account.

And what she found made her mind reel.

"Once I opened up the phone, there was a message from this guy that shot him," she said. "And he said, 'I'm sorry. But if anybody reads this message, get in touch with me. Because this, this didn't need to happen.'"

That message was sent to Sida via Instagram direct message the day after the deadly shooting.

Martinez also found something else.

"On his phone, he made the 911 call," Martinez said, pausing while holding back tears. "He wanted somebody to help him."

ABC-7 saw the call log, which indicated the 911 call lasted 40 seconds.

There was an ongoing text thread between Sida and Tarin's mother, who he labeled "Mother In Law" in his phone. She was texting him asking if Tarin was ok, then if he was okay, hours after he had died.

There was also a long text thread between and Sida and Tarin.

The day before and the day of the shooting, they were asking what the other was doing, and sending each other pictures. She sent him one where her eyes were covered with hearts; he sent her a photo of where he was -- at an urgent care center for treatment for a hernia.

The texts turned angry, as he asked her to stop lying about being with Joseph, which she denied. He then asked her to give him his phone back, which he had lent her the day before. The phone log shows Sida Facetimed Tarin ten minutes before he was shot.

Martinez told ABC-7 she felt the phone offered proof that her son's death wasn't justifiable.

"Didn't they go through his phone knowing that there were pictures from her, there was messages from her, and the last 911 call came from his phone?" she asked, adding, "I would want to hear that recording, if it's available."

Shortly after the interview in April with Martinez, ABC-7 submitted an open records request to the El Paso Police Department, asking for the audio and transcripts of phone calls made to 911 regarding the shooting.

This response came from the city attorney's office at the end of May: "We have made a good faith determination the information you requested deals with the detection, investigation, or prosecution of crime and the release of the remaining records would interfere with ... an open case." (emphasis added)

ABC-7 wanted clarification on why police still considered the case open well over a year and a half after they had determined no charges would be filed.

ABC-7 twice emailed the El Paso Police Department's public information office requesting an interview about this case, and also asking if the department was aware of the additional information Martinez found on Sida's phone.

The police did not respond to ABC-7, but a detective reached out to Martinez, asking her to show him Sida's phone.

She met with ABC-7 on July 14, the day after that meeting. Martinez looked frustrated.

Martinez said she explained what she had found to the detective as he looked at the phone, and that he took her sworn statement. 

She said she then asked him a question.

"I asked him, 'What's going to happen after this?' and he said, 'I don't know,'" Martinez said, adding she was taken aback by the response. 

"I said, 'Can I have a copy of what I signed, the statement that you did?' And then he said, 'Nope, because it's under investigation.' And I said, 'What do you mean, it's under investigation? I was told the case was closed,'" Martinez said, adding the detective stressed to her that the case was being investigated by the District Attorney's office. 

This last answer, Martinez said, frustrated her. For months, she said, the police had urged her to call the District Attorney's office for updates on the case. So, she would call the D.A. and leave messages asking for information. Then in March of this year, 16 months after her son's death, someone in the office told her they never received the case from police.

ABC-7 confirmed with that District Attorney Bill Hicks, but then circled back to the district attorney's office to see if anything changed. Officials in the office confirmed that the EPPD submitted additional evidence, but  added, "After reviewing, it does not warrant a reversal or re-investigation of the closed case."

For Martinez, she wishes the answers from law enforcement had changed, but thinks what would bring change is "For (Tarin and Joseph) to say the truth ... Because (police) believed every word that they say, but what about my son?"

The post No charges in deadly shooting deemed “justifiable;” El Paso mom thinks evidence shows intent appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- As the city marks a fourth year since the deadly massacre at the Cielo Vista Walmart, ABC-7 looked into the city's plans for a permanent memorial dedicated to the Aug. 3 victims and survivors.

The County of El Paso dedicated the Healing Garden at Ascarate Park on the second anniversary of the shooting, during which 23 people were killed and 22 wounded. The semi-circle wall is adorned with bronze plaques that each have a name of a victim, and are illuminated at night.

Walmart unveiled the Grand Candela memorial in Nov. 2019 at the store where the shooting occurred. The memorial is a large, golden metal structure resembling a candle, installed near the edge of the parking lot closest to Gateway Blvd. West.

Currently, there is a metal quad-fold wall at the corner of Ponder Park, near the intersection of Sunmount Drive and Viscount Boulevard, less than half a mile north of the Walmart where the shooting occurred. It's covered in hand-tied orange ribbons. A city marker behind the wall indicated that it is a temporary memorial, but this has been in place since shortly after the shooting.

ABC-7 asked the city about the future for a memorial, and officials said a permanent structure will be built on that footprint at the park, by the Brio bus stop on Viscount.

Renderings show it will consist of a circular plaza surrounded by landscaping and seating, with seven granite engraved monoliths placed in the center. There will be a dedication to the victims, and the names of all 23 people who died will be engraved on the monoliths.

Construction is anticipated to begin this fall and the city hopes to complete it by 2024.

Local artist Tino Ortega will create the plaza. The expected cost is $470,000, funded by the Quality of Life bond.

The post City of El Paso to build new, permanent memorial to Aug. 3 victims appeared first on KVIA.