Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 123, No. 303 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
December 18, 2014
THURSDAY
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Roswell High teacher injured by hit-and-run driver Peek recovering at hospital in Lubbock
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
A Roswell teacher is in a Lubbock hospital after being struck by a vehicle near his home on Friday, according to the Roswell Police Department. Roswell High School teacher David Peek, 54, was walking his dog in his front yard at 39 W. Wells St. at about 8 p.m. on Friday when he saw a Honda Civic speeding down the residential neighborhood’s street. According to police, Peek walked into the street and yelled for the vehicle to slow down, but the vehicle then swerved and struck
Peek, sending him flying into the air and then to the ground. He remained conscious. Police arrived on the scene, and a witness pointed police to an alley where he saw the vehicle go. Police found what seemed to be a matching vehicle in a nearby alley and questioned the man in the residence near where it was parked. The man, Isai Isidro Castrejon, 28, of Moreno Valley, Calif., told police he had been driving home at the time of the accident and believed he struck a tree branch. He was arrested at 1:19 a.m. on Saturday and charged with leav-
Bikes for tykes
ing the scene of an accident involving death or great bodily injury, duty to give information and render aid, no proof of insurance and reckless driving. According to police, officers smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from Castrejon’s breath and person, and he submitted to a blood alcohol content test at a hospital. The results are still pending. Based on how the results come out, he could possibly be charged later with DWI in addition to the existing charges, according to police. Calls to the Roswell High School principal’s office
and to Superintendent Tom Burris were not returned prior to press time. Peek was initially taken to Easter n New Mexico Medical Center, but was later transferred to a Lubbock hospital. Heidi Peek, Peek’s wife, has set up a GoFundMe account to help with Peek’s medical expenses. According to the Go Fund Me website, Peek suffered a broken ar m, as well as har m to both legs and facial damage. “Mr. Peek is the auto mechanic teacher at Roswell High School and is dearly loved by all,” accordSee PEEK, Page A3
Above: Submitted Photo
Roswell High School teacher David Peek, left, was injured Friday when he was struck by a hitand-run driver in front of his home in Roswell. Left: Police have arrested Isai Isidro Castrejon, 28, of Moreno Valley, Calif., and he has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death or great bodily injury, duty to give information and render aid, no proof of insurance and reckless driving.
Judge Riggs shares philosophies on life BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Chaves County’s first female district court judge said the woman who would become the state’s first elected female gover nor inspired her to strive for professionalism, preparation and empathy. Fifth Judicial District Judge Kea W. Riggs was the guest speaker at Wednesday’s Christmas Luncheon of the Chaves County Republican Women at the Elks Lodge. Gov. Susana Martinez in August appointed Riggs, a Roswell lawyer, to fill the vacancy on the 5th Judicial District Court in Chaves County created by retirement of Judge Charles Currier. Riggs, a Republican, ran unchallenged for the judicial post in November’s general election. “Venturing into the political arena was new for me,” Riggs told the audience Wednesday. “It was intimidating. It was exciting. And wow, I have lear ned a
Max Scally Photos the transportation busi-
Headstart students at two locations in Roswell got their first set of wheels Wednesday from Desert Sun Motors. Last year, the dealership gave a $10 toy to each Headstart student, but decided to go all out this year with free bicycles. “You could say bikes are appropriate because we in
ness,” quipped marketing director Amanda Gallagher. Finance manager Freddie Sosa, above, is shown accepting a ticket from a child before he gets his bike. The tickets were used to keep a count of the bikes as they were being handed out, Gallagher said. Right: A sea of bicycles.
Jeff Tucker Photo
Fifth Judicial District Judge Kea Riggs speaks at Wednesday’s Christmas Luncheon of the Chaves County Republican Women at the Elks Lodge.
whole lot.” Riggs, a 1983 high school graduate of New Mexico Military Institute, said it is important to give back to one’s state, community and country. “I was raised with a sense of responsibility by
Immigrant license Elementary students collect diapers for CASA repeal effort begins
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Two New Mexico lawmakers have launched a new effort to repeal a state law that allows immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally to obtain driver’s licenses. Rep. Paul Pacheco, RAlbuquerque, and Rep.elect Andy Nunez, R-Hatch, made a proposal Tuesday just as Republicans were preparing to take control of the House and Gov. Susana Martinez is set to start a second term following her landslide re-election victory. “Providing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants has turned New Mexico into a magnet for criminal activity, leading to elaborate fraud rings and human trafficking,” said Pacheco, a former police officer. “It is a dangerous practice that needs to be repealed once and for all.” In February, a federal jury in Las Cruces convicted a Chinese national Tuesday of 64 felonies for running a ring that helped immigrants illegally obtain New Mexico driver’s licenses. The man was one of several people who have been prosecuted in recent years
for running similar rings in New Mexico in recent years. Previously, similar repeal measures have failed. Martinez has said she would sign the legislation. It’s unclear if the new proposal will pass the Democraticcontrolled Senate. Proponents of the repeal say the law has made New Mexico vulnerable to fraud since criminal syndicates can come to the state and get driver’s licenses. But opponents say the law helps immigrant parents support their U.S.born children and makes New Mexico a much more immigrant-friendly state. Marcela Diaz, executive director of the Santa Febased Somos Un Pueblo Unido, called the new repeal efforts “anti-family” and vowed to help defeat the measure. “It’s clear the Rep. Pacheco and Rep. Nunez don’t care about the thousands of U.S. citizen children in New Mexico whose parents need licenses to put food on their tables,” Diaz said. See LICENSES, Page A3
HIGH 57 LOW 31
TODAY’S FORECAST
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
When members of the Student Council at East Grand Plains Elementary School decided they wanted to help the community, their first thought was the Chaves County CASA Program. “We chose CASA because we like to help people,” Student Council President Kayla Theimer, a fifth-grader at East Grand Plains, said on Wednesday. “We want Christmas to be good, and we want to help the children’s dreams come true.” Carrie-Leigh Cloutier, executive director of CASA, was on hand Wednesday. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, and an advocate is a volunteer appointed by the Children’s Court of the 5th Judicial District to ensure the needs of children who may have been neglected or abused are being met. To do this, the advocate must investigate facts, recommend a course of action, work toward the resolution of presenting
• MARTHA P. CAMPBELL • OLIVIA T. GONZALES • DEBRA MCLAUGHLIN
Randal Seyler Photo
The East Grand Plains Elementary School Student Council held a diaper and baby supplies drive this week. Student Council President Kayla Theimer, left, and Vice President Sara Royo, right, presented Carrie-Leigh Cloutier of Chaves County CASA, center, with the supplies on Wednesday.
problems, and monitor progress toward established goals. The students began gathering supplies for CASA on Dec. 10, and by Wednesday, the elementary school children had gathered a sizeable stack of diapers, wipes, and Pull-Ups. “We called CASA and asked them what they needed,” Principal Elisa
• ERMA GENE “SPUDS” REAMES • RALPH TORREZ
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A6
Begueria said. “The Student Council wanted to do something for the community.” Kayla said the students understood that the children at CASA were having problems and needed the help of the community. “The people that CASA helps are children dealing with parents who aren’t there or who need help,” Vice President Sara Royo,
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....B6 FINANCIAL ..............B4
See RIGGS, Page A3
a fourth-grader, said. “You girls get it,” Cloutier said. “This is one of our biggest needs, especially at Christmastime. Everyone has trouble having enough money at Christmas.” Cloutier said CASA not only provides supplies such as diapers and wipes to parents, but the program also teaches parents how to care for children and even how to change diapers. “Some of the parents don’t even change their baby’s diapers,” Cloutier said. “We have to teach them those basic parenting skills.” Cloutier said she was very impressed by the student leadership at Grand Plains Elementary School. “I keep hearing great things about this school,” she said. “We want to make this a tradition,” Begueria said. “Our students want to work with CASA and help take care of the community.” City Editor Randal Seyler may be contacted at 622-7710, ext. 311, or reporter02@rdrnews.com.
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........B6 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8