Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 124, No. 12 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
January 14, 2015
Hearing date set for accused reckless driver
WEDNESDAY
www.rdrnews.com
Attorney: Caraveo has never been in trouble
BY TIMOTHY P. HOWSARE RECORD EDITOR
A preliminary hearing has been set for Jonathan Caraveo, the Artesia man accused of causing a threevehicle collision at North Main Street at Mescalero Avenue a week ago that sent four people to the hospital. Caraveo is scheduled to appear before Judge K.C. Rogers in Magistrate Courtroom I at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 4. At the preliminary hearing, the judge will determine whether there is enough probable cause to
move forward with a trial. Caraveo, 27, is charged with causing great bodily injury by vehicle, a thirddegree felony that carries a sentence of up to three years in prison; reckless driving, a misdemeanor that carries a jail sentence from five to 90 days and/or a fine from $25 to $100; and no proof of insurance, a misdemeanor that carries a fine up to $300. Caraveo was released from the Chaves County Detention Center on Jan. 7, the day after his arrest by the Roswell Police Department, on an unsecured
bond of $10,000. Caraveo was booked into the jail on three bonds of $10,000, one for each charge. A spokesman for the RPD said Tuesday the police had no new information on the case. Local authorities told the Daily Record that Caraveo has no prior driving arrests in Roswell or Artesia, but that he does have three citations and one warning for moving violations from the Artesia Police Department. Caraveo received a war ning for speeding in November 2010 and citations for running a red light
in December 2010, careless driving in February 2011 and speeding in June 2011. The 5th Judicial Circuit District Attorney will prosecute the case, according to a case detail posted on nmcourts.gov. Though the case detail does not indicate whether Caraveo has an attorney, it does state that a request was made by Artesia attorney Kevin Hanratty for “consideration taken toward the defendant’s bond.” See CARAVEO, Page A3
Bill Moffitt Photo
A Roswell firefighter observes damage on Jan. 6 to a Toyota Tacoma shortly after it was crashed by Artesia resident Jonathan Caraveo, who faces one felony and two misdemeanor charges for colliding with two vehicles and sending four people to local hospitals. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4.
Veteran combats PTSD, disorders with bike trek BY MAX SCALLY SPECIAL TO THE DAILY RECORD
Jake Sansing, a 27-yearold Greenfield, Tennessee, resident, made a stop in Roswell Monday on his long-distance bicycle trek from Florida to Alaska. Sansing, who served in the U.S. Army, said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) bipolar disorder and sensory seizures. When asked where he served, Sansing said he was in the 5th Brigade 2nd Infantry Division, saying he’d like to keep the rest of his experiences private and doesn’t want to draw too much attention to the fact he’s a veteran. The Daily Record was contacted about Sansing by his uncle, Chris Flesher. The two men recently reconnected and Flesher faithfully tracks Sansing’s progress on the road and contacts newspapers along his route. Sansing estimates he will have logged 8,000 miles by the time he reaches his destination, Anchorage,
Max Scally Photos
Above: Home on the road. Jake Sansing has everything he needs on his Nashbar touring bike. So far, he has not had a flat tire, he said. Right: Solar to go. Sansing uses these portable solar panels to charge his smartphone and backup power supply.
Voters to decide RISD bond, school board races in Feb. 3 election BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
In three weeks, voters will return to the polls to vote on renewing the Roswell Independent School District’s general obligation bond, as well as deciding who will serve on the school board. Superintendent Tom Burris discussed the upcoming election with the Roswell Kiwanis Club on Tuesday. “This is the third time today I’ve made this presentation,” Burris said with a laugh. Burris has been visiting civic groups and city officials drumming up support for the coming election, which will be held on Feb. 3. Thursday, he spoke briefly to the City Council, updating it on the upcoming election. Early voting began on Friday. In the RISD election, school board president Pauline Ponce and board
member James Waldrip are up for re-election this year, and both have challengers, Burris said. Ruben J. Sanchez filed to run against Ponce, and Carey D. Smith Jr. filed to challenge school board secretary Waldrip. The winners will be elected to four-year terms, beginning March 1. The school board’s other three members, Dr. Peggy Brewer, Mackenzie Hunt and Eloy Ortega Jr., are not up for re-election in 2015. “The bond election is a renewal of an existing bond, and it will not raise taxes,” Burris said. The district millage rate is 5.635 mills, which means on a $100,000 house, the annual tax bill would be $187.83, according to Ron Lethgo, Chaves County tax assessor. The total millage levied on property in Roswell is 29.018 mills, or $969.36 on a $100,000 property, LethSee ELECTION, Page A3
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TODAY’S FORECAST
Alaska. “I’m riding a bike from Florida to Alaska, to not only live there, but to show how exercise plays an important role in mental health,” Sansing states on his Facebook. Sansing joined the Army when he was 19 and was out in 2011. Shortly after he was discharged, he was diagnosed with PTSD, bipolar disorder and sensory seizures. Sansing said he spent his first year out of the military homeless because his attitude toward life left him with constant anxiety and depression. He had obtained several jobs throughout that time, but was either let go or unable to handle the stress. Eventually, he saved enough money for a laptop computer and began studying and practicing music production and audio engineering, which he now claims as his profession, he
Gas prices reach their lowest in years BY MARY MORGAN RECORD INTERN
Gas prices in Roswell are at their lowest prices in years, although some motorists wonder how long prices will remain below $2 a gallon. On Tuesday, regular grade gasoline was selling for as low as $1.96 a gallon at Sam’s Club, 4400 N. Main St., according to NewMexicoGasPrices.com. By contrast, the lowest price for gasoline in Roswell in mid-August was $2.93 a gallon, meaning there is a 97-cent a gallon difference from the lowest price fuel in the city from five months ago. Several gas stations were selling regular-grade gas at $1.99 a gallon Tuesday, such as Phillips 66 at 1618 Southeast Main St.; Stripes at 1219 E. Second St.; and Conoco at 1811 Southeast Main St., according to NewMexicoGasPrice.com. Five gas stations — Shamrock at 811 W. Second St.; Valero at 3300 N. Main St.; Diamond Sham-
• CRUZ VILLARREAL- MARTINEZ
rock at 225 S. Main St.; Conoco at 2110 S. Main St. and Conoco at 902 W. Second St. — were selling regular-grade gas Tuesday at $2.08 a gallon. AAA New Mexico spokesman Doug Shupe said the statewide average Tuesday was $1.91 a gallon. Albuquerque has the lowest gas prices in the nation at $1.77 a gallon. “Roswell is a more remote area,” Shupe said. “It’s a higher expense to get products to that area.” Shupe explained that drivers all over the country saved around $5 million in gas money in 2014. He also said New Mexico is in the top 10 states for lowest gas prices. When asked why the gas prices are so low, workers at Stripes and Allsup’s had no comment. Costumers, however, were quite happy to see the lower prices. “Makes it easier to fill my truck. I guess there must be too much oil in the market,” said Mike Perkowski, a customer at Corner Store at 1110 S. Main St. “It allows me to do some
TODAY’S OBITUARY PAGE A6
See SANSING, Page A3
Bill Moffitt Photo
Gas prices in Roswell have finally dipped below the $2 mark. The statewide average is now $1.91 a gallon, with Albuquerque having the lowest average price in the nation at $1.77 a gallon.
catching up on my finances,” said Orlando Cobos, a customer at the Allsup’s on Country Club Road and North Main CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL ..............B3
Street. “When the prices were higher, I noticed it took a lot from my sav-
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
See GAS, Page A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8