New Santa Fe Farmers Market cafe showcases fresh, local ingredients Taste, D-1
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Wednesday, May 22, 2013
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Natalie Vigil, 18, takes the witness stand during Arthur Anaya’s trial Tuesday in First District Judge Stephen Pfeffer’s courtroom. Anaya is accused of killing Vigil’s mother and boyfriend in January 2012. Angela Urban and Joshua Vigil, the parents of victim Austin Urban, sit in the courtroom Tuesday.
PHOTOS BY JANE PHILLIPS
Testimony begins Witness gives account of events on day mom, boyfriend were killed; suspect Arthur Anaya’s lawyers say he acted in self-defense
Search for survivors in Okla. nearly complete Fatality count reduced to 24 as scientists upgrade storm’s power By Christopher Sherman and Sean Murphy The Associated Press
MOORE, Okla. — Helmeted rescue workers raced Tuesday to complete the search for survivors and the dead in the Oklahoma City suburb where a mammoth tornado destroyed countless homes, cleared lots down to bare red earth and claimed 24 lives, including those of nine children. Scientists concluded the storm was a rare and extraordinarily powerful type of twister known as an EF5, ranking it at the top of the scale used to measure tornado strength. Those twisters are capable of lifting reinforced buildings off the ground, hurling cars like missiles and stripping trees completely free of bark. Residents of Moore began returning to their homes a day after the tornado smashed some neighborhoods into jagged wood scraps and gnarled pieces of metal. In place of their houses, many found only empty lots. After nearly 24 hours of searching, the fire chief said he was confident there were no more bodies or survivors in the rubble. “I’m 98 percent sure we’re good,” Gary Bird said at a news conference with the governor, who had just completed an aerial tour of the disaster zone. Authorities were so focused on the search effort that they had yet to establish the full scope of damage along the storm’s long, ruinous path. They did not know how many homes were gone or how many families had been displaced. Emergency crews had trouble navigating devastated neighborhoods because there were no street signs left. Some rescuers used smartphones or GPS devices to guide
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Arthur Anaya listens to testimony Tuesday, the first day of his murder trial. Anaya faces two counts of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, two counts of bribery of a witness, tampering with evidence and aggravated assault on a peace officer.
By Nico Roesler The New Mexican
A
Santa Fe County jury is on schedule to decide this week if Arthur Anaya is guilty of first-degree murder in the 2012 shootings of a 16-year-old boy and the mother of the boy’s girlfriend. Austin Urban was living in a trailer on Anaya’s south Santa Fe property in January 2012 with his girlfriend, Natalie Vigil, and her mother, Theresa Vigil, when Anaya, 54, allegedly shot Urban and Theresa Vigil in the face in a dispute over $100 in late rent. Anaya eluded police for four days. “This is a case about money, murder and the ensuing manhunt of the defendant,” Dep-
uty District Attorney Tim Williams told the jury Tuesday, the first day of the trial. Anaya’s public defender, Joseph Campbell, outlined his client’s defense, saying Anaya shot both Urban and Theresa Vigil in selfdefense after repeatedly asking them to leave his property. Although there was no written rental agreement, Campbell said, Theresa Vigil had verbally agreed to pay Anaya $300 per month. The attorney emphasized that the property belonged to Anaya, who had the right to enter the trailer. “He didn’t go in shooting,” Campbell said. “He went in to tell Theresa Vigil to leave his property.” Natalie Vigil, then 17, witnessed the shoot-
Proposal to restrict magazines advances Bushee’s plan to limit ammunition capacity receives panel approval By Tom Sharpe The New Mexican
City Councilor and mayoral hopeful Patti Bushee’s proposal to limit firearm magazines holding more than 10 bullets continues to clear city committees, with a final vote set in July. On Tuesday, the measure passed the Public Safety Committee with a
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single dissenting vote from Herbert Harris, who did not explain his vote. One of nine people who addressed the committee opposed the proposed ordinance. Jim Jaffee talked about taking his teenage niece target shooting in Colorado last winter. But, he said, due to recently enacted laws in Colorado, some of his recreational firearms will be illegal there July 1, even though “some of them are .22-caliber rifles that were patented over 100 years ago.”
Classifieds D-3
ing of her mother and boyfriend, whom she called her “two loves.” In testimony Tuesday, Natalie Vigil said she and her mother were sleeping in on Jan. 23, 2012, because they had celebrated her mother’s birthday the night before at a family member’s house. Urban and his friend, Javier Salcido, then 17, were in a back bedroom of the trailer playing video games. Natalie Vigil said she heard her mother argue with someone on the phone that morning and then leave the trailer to speak with Anaya outside. Natalie Vigil said the exchange was “heated,” but there was no violence. She and her mother then sat down for breakfast.
Opinions A-5
‘Madrid’s ghost Town Past’
Editor: Rob Dean, 986-3033, rdean@sfnewmexican.com Design and headlines: Kristina Dunham, kdunham@sfnewmexican.com
Phyllis L. Rowell, 91, April 23 Martha R. Garcia, 88, Santa Fe, May 19 PAge C-2
New display celebrating Madrid’s 40th Rebirth Day features steam locomotive, mining equipment and vintage automobiles, Madrid Old Coal Town Mine Museum, 2846 N.M. 14, 438-3780 or 473-0743. Open 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily through October. $5, seniors and children $3. More events in Calendar, A-2 and Fridays in Pasatiempo
Police notes C-2
Obituaries
Sports B-1
Today
Kandi Scott salvages items Tuesday from the rubble of her home, which was destroyed Monday by the huge tornado. BRENNAN LINSLEY/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
New Mexicans join relief efforts Staff and wire reports
University Hospital in Albuquerque is sending a 26-member team of medical, computer and security specialists to Moore, Okla., to help with the response to Monday’s massive tornado. Medical personnel who are part of the Disaster Medical Assistance Team include doctors, nurses and medical managers. The deployment could be for up to two weeks. According to the hospital, the team is part of a national system that deploys medical support to events of national significance. The hospital says the team can treat up to 250 patients per day for up to three days without resupply. The New Mexico team has deployed to hurricanes as well as terrorist attacks, earthquakes, Olympic games and other events. Xcel Energy, an electric utility company, sent 15 of its New Mexico crew members from Carlsbad, Clovis, Hobbs and Roswell, along with 34 Texas employees, to help repair power lines in the affected area. Wes Reeves, spokesperson for the company, said the group left Tuesday afternoon from Amarillo, Texas. Public Service Company of New Mexico has not
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Mostly sunny. High 83, low 49.
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u Teachers credited with saving students. PAge A-4
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Four sections, 28 pages 164th year, No. 142 Publication No. 596-440