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Monday, January 5, 2015
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Homeowner fires at burglary suspect Police arrested Erica Duran, 32, on Maez Road after an Agua Fría Street homeowner fired one shot from his gun as she allegedly attempted to burglarize his Erica Duran home, said Lt. Andrea Dobyns of the Santa Fe Police Department. The round hit the ground and no one was injured during the incident, she said.
Woman with record of property crime arrested nearby after incident
Teachers see benefits of active science class
By Robert Nott The New Mexican
A Santa Fe homeowner fired a gun to warn away a suspected burglar shortly before noon Sunday, triggering a rapid police response and the capture of the suspect on a nearby road.
Some schools experiment with new approach after traditional lecture-style learning fails. EDUCATION, A-6
Rockets aim for Earth SpaceX will try this week to upend the economics of space travel by landing the first stage of a rocket intact on a barge in the ocean. LIFE & SCIENCE, A-7
A New Year’s wish list for New Mexico
The homeowner had not been identified as of Sunday afternoon, and Dobyns said she did not know what type of gun he used. According to the police report, at about 11:48 a.m. Sunday, Duran broke a window to the man’s home and then armed herself with a piece of glass, prompting the man to fire. One resident of the neighborhood, who did not want his name published, said police officers with guns drawn showed up in the area at about noon. They searched several streets, including Acequias de
Rank-and-file morale down amid controversy
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he year is fresh, the slate almost clean. This is the time when most things seem possible. It’s as good a day as any to make a wish list for New Mexico.
las Joyas, that branch off from Agua Fría Street. Dobyns said other neighbors told police that Duran also had attempted to gain entry to their homes through a variety of guises, including pretending to be lost and offering to sell a purse, both one day last week and again on Sunday. “She was caught with stolen property, though none of it was from those residences that she tried to get into,” Dobyns said.
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Senate bill would ensure no convicted state official keeps seat Pre-filed measure also would take away campaign funds By Steve Terrell The New Mexican
Civility in political combat State Sen. Jacob Candelaria recently took an independent stand that upset many people. Candelaria, D-Albuquerque, supported Republican Gov. Susana Martinez’s decision to make the head of the state Tourism Department the new Cabinet secretary of the embattled agency that cares for abused and neglected children. Candelaria, 28, says he received a threat of physical violence by email after endorsing the governor’s appointee. It’s fine to disagree with Candelaria, but Milan wrong to threaten him Simonich or anybody else. Ringside Seat He may be off base in supporting a fellow Ivy Leaguer for the gritty job of making sure vulnerable kids are protected. Or Candelaria could be right that someone with a track record in management may be more capable of improving the Children, Youth and Families Department than a social worker who’s been in the trenches.
Please see RINGSIDE, Page A-4
Pasapick www.pasatiempomagazine.com
Music Mondays at Jean Cocteau Cinema The concert series continues with R & B musicians Zenobia and Jose Antonio Ponce, 7-9 p.m., $8 in advance at jeancocteaucinema.com, $10 at the door, 418 Montezuma Ave., 466-5528.
As the nation continues to grapple with the thorny issues of race and policing, some officers have been bruised by comments made by some local and national officials and have accused them of showing more support for the protesters, some of whom have violently clashed with police, than for their police departments. Law enforcement officials say morale is flagging among rankand-file officers who feel “betrayed” by President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder in their calls for tough reforms of policing tactics. “We might be reaching a tipping point with the mindset of officers, who are beginning to wonder if the risks they take to keep communities safe are even worth it anymore,” said Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. “In New York and other places, we’re seeing a natural recoil from law enforcement officers who don’t feel like certain people who need to have their backs have their backs.” New York became the epicenter of that frustration last month when Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were ambushed by a gunman as they sat in their patrol car on a Brooklyn street. Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who killed himself shortly after murdering the officers, wrote on social media that he was avenging the deaths of unarmed black men who had been killed by police, specifically referencing
Felony convictions of public officials are often complicated by this question: Will they resign their elected posts? New York Congressman Michael Grimm, who pleaded guilty to tax fraud on Dec. 23, rejected calls to step down after his guilty plea. He finally relented last week. In New Mexico, Rio Arriba County Sheriff Tommy Rodella initially indicated he wouldn’t give up his job after he was convicted in September of violating the civil rights of an Española man. Rodella resigned a few days later, although that fact didn’t become public knowledge for more than a week until his resignation letter turned up in court documents. There would be no question of convicted New Mexico officials losing their positions if the Legislature passes and the governor signs a bill pre-filed late last month. Senate Bill 90, sponsored by Sen. Mark Moores, R-Albuquerque, says, “If a person who holds a public office in this state is convicted of a felony, the person shall be deemed to have resigned from the public office immediately upon conviction, and the office shall be deemed vacant.” Not only that, but the convicted official could lose one of the things a politicians holds most dear: his or her campaign treasury. “All funds belonging to the person’s campaign committee or committees shall be subject to forfeiture pursuant to the provisions of the Forfeiture Act; provided that upon forfeiture, any funds shall be deposited into the children’s trust fund,” the proposed legislation says. Moores said in an email that his bill would codify a 2010 state Supreme Court ruling in the case of then-Public Regulation Commissioner Carol Sloan. Sloan was convicted on felony battery and burglary charges but refused to resign her state commission. The high court ruled that an elected official automatically forfeits his or her office upon conviction of a felony. The case that sparked the forfeiture part of
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Please see CONVICTED, Page A-4
Some officers turn their backs as New York Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks Sunday during the funeral of Officer Wenjian Liu in the Brooklyn borough of New York. De Blasio, an outspoken critic of some policing tactics, has come to represent what many in law enforcement see as a lack of support, if not outright hostility, for the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to keep the streets safe. JOHN MINCHILLO/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Officers express frustration, defiance as nation grapples with policing, race issues By Wesley Lowery and Kimberly Kindy The Washington Post
he frustration and defiance of the nation’s police officers were on display again Sunday in New York City, where tens of thousands of them gathered for the funeral of the second of two officers whose murders happened at the height of the ongoing protests and scrutiny after several high-profile deaths of unarmed black males. A large number of the officers who stood under grey skies, dressed in their formal blue uniforms, staged their own protest, turning their backs when Mayor Bill de Blasio rose to speak at the funeral. Even some out-of-town officers joined NYPD members in the show of disrespect toward de Blasio, an outspoken critic of some policing tactics who has come to represent what many in law enforcement see as a lack of support, if not outright hostility, for the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to keep the streets safe.
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Obituaries
Chimayó woman seeks damages for face on flask
George Patrick Bowker Jr., 79, Dec. 30 Carolyn Ann Edwards, 72, Dec. 31 Mildred Annabelle Herrera, Jan. 1 Evaristo “Abie” Trujillo, Dec. 31
Mother of 2 who does not drink files suit, says product is defamatory
PAGE A-8
By Phaedra Haywood
Today Mostly sunny and clear. High 45, low 23. PAGE A-10
Index
Calendar A-2
Classifieds B-5
The New Mexican
A Chimayó woman is suing the maker of novelty products over a flask that includes her likeness and the phrase “I’m going to be the most popular girl in rehab.”
Comics B-10
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Crosswords B-6, B-9
Education A-6
Her lawsuit, which was filed in state District Court in November but has since been moved to federal court, also names Doodlet’s gift shop in Santa Fe as a defendant. In her complaint, Veronica Vigil, says Anne Taintor Inc. obtained and used her high school graduation picture from 1970 without her permission and has defamed her by linking her image to a product that makes light of substance abuse, in direct conflict with the way Vigil lives her life.
Life & Science A-7
El Nuevo A-5
“Plaintiff is an active a member of her church and does not consume alcohol o or drugs,” according to the complaint. c “Given the serioussness of the issues of substancce abuse in the community in n which plaintiff resides, sh he has held herself out by repu utation for her children an nd her community, to o
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Opinions A-11
Sports B-1 Time Out B-9
BREAKING NEWS AT WWW.SANTAFENEWMEXICAN.COM
C Chimayó resident V Veronica Vigil sa ays Anne Taintor In nc. has tarnished h reputation by her u using her 1970 h high school gradu uation photo on th his flask, a produ Vigil says uct m makes light of substance abuse and is in direct conflict with the w she lives her way liife. COURTESY PHOTO
Two sections, 20 pages 166th year, No. 5 Publication No. 596-440