Fri 02 20 rdr

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Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY

Vol. 124, No. 44 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday

February 20, 2015

FRIDAY

www.rdrnews.com

Police video at issue in Roach DUI case

By Jeff Tucker Record Staff Writer

Incriminating police dashboard video recorded the night Renee L. Roach was arrested on a drunken driving charge is among the evidence Roach’s attorney has asked to be suppressed. A hearing on a motion to suppress the evidence held Thursday morning in Chaves County Magistrate Court was continued until Monday afternoon after the state trooper who arrested Roswell’s former public relations and marketing director last fall did not appear in court Thursday. S. Doug Jones Witt, who is representing Roach, asked Magistrate Judge Buddy J. Hall on Thursday to dismiss all charges against Roach based upon

the arresting officer’s absence. Fifth Judicial District Assistant District Attorney Anderson Hatfield objected, saying the arresting officer was on his way to court and that Jones Witt’s motion to dismiss the case was “too drastic.” “I do agree dismissal is the drastic response,” said Hall, a De Baca County magistrate judge who is hearing the Roach case after Chaves County Magistrate Judges John Halvorson and K.C. Rogers recused themselves. Hall denied Jones Witt’s request to dismiss all charges. Hall appeared via video conferencing Thursday morning in Chaves County Magistrate Court for the scheduled motion hearing

and final pre-trial hearing. Jones Witt objected that the judge was not personally present in the courtroom to gauge the reaction of witnesses, such as the arresting officer. Hall agreed he should be present and continued Thursday’s suppression hearing until 2 p.m. Monday. Roach is scheduled to stand trial Thursday, Feb. 26, before Hall on charges of aggravated driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs and failure to maintain traffic lane. State police said Roach, 41, of Roswell, was driving on Roswell’s southside late Sept. 2 with blood-alcohol concentrations of 0.19 and 0.18 percent, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08, making the DUI charge an

aggravated offense. It was Roach’s first DUI arrest. A first DUI conviction in New Mexico carries a maximum possible penalty of up to 90 days in jail, a $500 fine, at least 24 hours community service and other mandatory penalties, such as the installation of an ignition interlock device by the offender for one year. In addition, an aggravated DUI offense has a mandatory jail time of at least 48 hours. Police said Roach was weaving from lane to lane along U.S. Highway 285 at about 10:40 p.m. Sept. 2, heading northbound toward a police cruiser. State police Patrolman Marcus Gonzales wrote in a criminal complaint he was conducting a traffic stop

on U.S. Highway 285 when he saw a northbound sport utility vehicle weaving lane to lane. Gonzales said the Lexus SUV began heading toward his police cruiser before the SUV pulled back into the lane of travel. “I proceeded to get into my unit and chase down the vehicle as it passed me,” Gonzales wrote in the complaint. “I activated my emergency equipment to conduct a traffic stop with the vehicle at the intersection of (Southeast) Main (Street) and Bonney (Street).” Gonzales said Roach failed to immediately stop and continued northbound for several blocks before pulling over. See ROACH, Page A3

By Jeff Jackson Record City Editor

Christina Stock Photo

The Daily Record was notified late Thursday afternoon of a large fire east of town. One of our employees happened to be out and about and got this photo of the large smoke cloud. However, after contacting the Roswell Fire Department and county dispatchers, the newspaper learned that what some people thought was a large, destructive blaze was actually a controlled burn conducted by the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Assistant Refuge Manager Larry Ulibarri said about 350 acres were burned yesterday on the south tract of the refuge to minimize the risk of wildfires and promote new vegetation growth. “This is a multipurpose burn to improve wildlife habitat,” he said. Ulibarri said that smaller tracts might be burned today if necessary.

Police seek suspect in sexual assault

The Roswell Police Department is seeking any information the public may have that could help identify and locate the suspect in a sexual assault last weekend. Any information that could potentially lead investigators to the suspect’s car is also helpful. The victim of the assault, a 30-year-old woman, described her attacker as a Hispanic male in his mid-20s with a medium complexion, dark brown hair and a goatee. He had short hair atop his head

and the hair on the sides of his head was shaved or cut very short. He also had “sleeved” tattoos — tattoos covering most of an area on the arm — on his left arm from his wrist to shoulder. The suspect was driving a black four-door Honda Accord that the victim believed was a model from the year 2000 or newer. The assault occurred Saturday, Feb. 14, around 4 p.m. inside the attacker’s car along West College Boulevard. The victim had been walking in another part of the city a short time

The drunken driving case against Renee Roach, Roswell’s former public relations and marketing director, hangs in the balance as Roach’s attorneys are asking the judge to suppress all evidence from the Sept. 2 traffic stop, including an incriminating dashboard video recorded by state police.

Solar plans heat up after bonds OK’d

Where there’s smoke …

Submitted by RPD

Jeff Tucker Photo

earlier when the suspect stopped and offered her a ride, which she accepted. After the assault, the attacker told the woman to get out of the car and he drove away. Anyone with information regarding this case, including information that could help identify and locate the suspect or suspect’s vehicle, is asked to call the Roswell Police Department at (575) 624-6770 or Chaves County Crime Stoppers at 1-888-594TIPS(8477).

A proposed solar power project northeast of Roswell got the green light Thursday from the Chaves County Board of Commissioners after a bond sale was approved. The five-man commission panel voted unanimously for the bond sale of up to $290 million under an industrial revenue bond format for NextEra Energy to proceed with plans to establish a solar energy complex northeast of Roswell. The county will not be left with a debt even if the project fails, stressed County Manager Stanton L. Riggs, who advised the board to approve the item. “ W e h a v e b e e n d e a ling with this company for about six to nine months. We’ve done a lot of research,” Riggs told the commissioners before the

vote. “We had our economic development corporation research this company because — although these bonds would never be an obligation to Chaves County, they cannot be. If they don’t pay themselves the bonds go away. There are no bond holders because the company would buy their own bonds. Chaves County would in no way be liable for these bonds — we still want to make sure that our name is on something that’s good. Not on somebody that comes in, a fly-by-night thing and goes bankrupt. This is a real company, with real assets. We checked them out. Our EDC has checked them out. They’re good people. They’ve got good bond counsel. They’re the real deal.” The energy corporation would be relieved of paying county and school See SOLAR, Page A2

Woman taken to hospital after crash

Dylanne Petros Photo

Three vehicles were involved in a crash Thursday evening around 5:15 p.m. near the intersection of Eighth Street and Missouri Avenue. Based on an investigation, police believe the crash occurred because one vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign. One woman was taken to the hospital with a possible arm injury.

Bill calls for prison riot officers to be compensated

AP Photo

Former correctional officer Lawrence Lucero testifies about the moments after inmates began rioting at the Penitentiary of New Mexico during a House committee hearing in Santa Fe, on Thursday. Lawmakers are considering legislation that would compensate the handful of surviving correctional officers who were at the prison when the riot erupted in 1980 and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result.

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A dozen guards were held hostage 35 years ago during one of the nation’s deadliest prison riots. Some were brutally beaten and sexually assaulted as rioting prisoners killed 33 of their fellow inmates during a clash that included beheadings, amputations and burned bodies. Now, New Mexico lawmakers are considering compensation for those correctional officers who are still alive and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee heard the emotional account of Lawrence Lucero, one of only two officers who

managed to escape in the opening hours as inmates rushed the control center at the Penitentiary of New Mexico on Feb. 2, 1980. Lucero recalled seeing one man being dragged away with a belt around his neck. Another had his head bashed in while Lucero and another correctional officer watched helplessly from behind bullet-proof glass that the inmates eventually shattered with metal pipes. “The fire, the screams, the torturing of people, it’s just something not even a movie could prepare you for. It’s just something beyond this world,” said Lucero, who was 25 at the time.

Today’s Forecast

Today’s Obituaries Page B4

HIGH 80 LOW 41

• Naomi Sturgeon Atkinson • Nora Franco • Sherry Ann Glenn

Now nearly 60, Lucero has nightmares of inmates coming to attack him and he can’t forget the smell of burning flesh. His wife, Isabel, testified that she too has had to deal with the effects the riot had on her husband. Fueled by a combination of overcrowding and poor conditions, the riot lasted 36 hours. It led to extensive reforms within the state’s prison system. Alcon said the correctional officers who were swept up in the riot should have been compensated years ago. He and other lawmakers apologized to Lucero and said the officers should have never had to experi-

ence something like that. Alcon estimated only five or six of the former correctional officers are still living. The House Judiciary Committee voted in favor of the bill after making several changes to simplify the compensation process. The measure calls for setting aside $1.5 million for the effort. Last year, the Senate unanimously passed a memorial recognizing the tragedy and expressing a commitment to criminal justice reform. See PRISON, Page A3

Index Classifieds...........B6 Comics..................B5 Entertainment. ....A6 Financial..............B3

General...............A2

Opinion.................A4

Horoscopes.........A8

Sports. ................B1

Lotteries. ............A2

Weather...............A8


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