A-8
THE NEW MEXICAN Thursday, January 2, 2014
In brief
Armed robbery suspects arrested Santa Fe police reported Wednesday that they have arrested two armed robbery suspects who were on the department’s Most Wanted list. On Tuesday, police captured Robert Louis Pacheco, 32, on an outstanding warrant related to an armed robbery in the 1200 block of Gallegos Lane. Pacheco also was wanted in connection with an armed robbery of Wecks Restaurant on Cerrillos Road on Sept. 14, a police news release said. The day before Pacheco’s arrest, police arrested Christopher Mavis. The 33-year-old had an outstanding warrant for the armed robbery on Gallegos Lane. He was wanted in connection with the robbery of GameStop on Aug. 22. Pacheco and Mavis are believed to be linked to several armed robberies that occurred in the city and county during the past several months. However, police Capt. Dale Lettenberger said Wednesday that the two are not suspects in an armed robbery of the Dollar Store on Airport Road on New Year’s Eve. Both were in custody when that robbery took place, Lettenberger said.
National refuge to expand ALBUQUERQUE — The Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge on Albuquerque’s southern edge is growing thanks to the purchase of 57 acres. The $1.1 million purchase was announced this week by Bernalillo County Commissioner Art de la Cruz and state Sen. Michael Padilla. They also say development of a master plan for the refuge and visitors’ center is underway. The state Legislature approved the funding for the purchase during its last session. As the Southwest’s first urban refuge, Valle de Oro was dedicated in September 2012. It now consists of close
to 490 acres of alfalfa fields and cottonwoods along the Rio Grande. There are plans to buy another 80 acres. Officials say a public meeting is scheduled next week to gather community comments and ideas for the refuge’s master plan.
Powell supports monument New Mexico Land Commissioner Ray Powell is throwing his support behind a proposal that would protect scenic areas in Doña Ana County. New Mexico’s two U.S. senators have introduced legislation that calls for designating about 780 square miles near Las Cruces as the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. The effort has been more than a decade in the making. The area would include eight new wilderness areas and would be overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. It would also include about 125 square miles of state trust land.
Farmers hopeful for more snow LAS CRUCES — Farmers in Southern New Mexico are looking to this winter for more snow as they try to recover from what was a historically dismal irrigation season in 2013. Snowpack levels in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico are being closely watched. So far, they’re better than last year. Phil King, the water engineer for the Elephant Butte Irrigation District, told the Las Cruces Sun-News that despite the early snow, there’s no indication this season will offer anything close to a full supply of water. A federal report released Monday shows the Upper Rio Grande Basin is about 90 percent of normal for this time of year. That’s down from over 100 percent in early December. Experts say most of the recent storms seem to be skirting too far north or are starved of moisture. Staff and wire services
Police notes The Santa Fe Police Department is investigating the following reports: u An armed robber in a gold devil mask and an accomplice wearing a white bandanna, dark shades and a green beanie cap robbed the Dollar Mart at 4350 Airport Road about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. They took an unspecified amount of cash from a woman working the register and got away in a Dodge Dakota pickup, thought to be a 1990s model, with gray lines on the bottom door panels. u A thief stole a 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer on Tuesday from the 2500 block of Camino Entrada. u Someone stole a 1994 Saturn on Tuesday from the DeVargas Center parking lot. u Police responding to a public disturbance call at Hotel St. Francis about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday arrested a male on a charge of being a minor drinking alcohol. u Merinda Menchaca of Las Cruces was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in Doña Ana County Magistrate Court. Menchaca had been stopped for a traffic violation. She was traveling with her 13-year-old granddaughter, who was released to a family member. Another passenger, Manuel Menchaca of Las Cruces, also was arrested on a failure-to-appear warrant from Doña Ana County Magistrate Court, as well as a warrant from the same court for failing to pay fines. His niece was released to another family member. u Police arrested Vincent Wheeler, 20, on charges of burglary and receiving stolen property. Police traced a stolen iPad to Wheeler on Tuesday. u Police arrested Christopher Gonzales of Glorieta on Tuesday on a bench warrant from Santa Fe County Magistrate Court for an unspecified offense. u Police arrested Daniel Lucero of Santa Fe Tuesday on a warrant charging him with failure to appear in municipal court. u Police arrested Jonathan Gonzales, 42, of Santa Fe on Wednesday on a warrant for failing to appear in municipal court.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the following report: u Deputies arrested Eduardo Romero, 35 on a charge of bringing contraband into a place of imprisonment on Tuesday. Deputies are testing what they believe to be a narcotic found on Romero, who denied it was contraband.
DWI arrests u Santa Fe police arrested Greg Dawson of Santa Fe on a charge of drunken driving Tuesday following a crash at the intersection of Cerrillos Road and San Felipe Street. Dawson’s pickup knocked over a light post in the median of Cerrillos Road. He also was charged with negligent use of a weapon because he had a handgun in his pickup at the time of his arrest. u Santa Fe police arrested Aaron Vigil, 23, Wednesday on a charge of aggravated drunken driving. He was stopped in downtown Santa Fe speeding at 3:41 am. u State police in Santa Fe County arrested Robert Poorman, 53, on a drunken-driving charge on New Year’s Eve. u State police arrested Katie McDonald, 35, in Santa Fe County on a drunken-driving charge on New Year’s Eve. u Sheriff’s deputies arrested Valerie A. Fischer, 34, of Santa Fe on a drunken-driving charge Wednesday. u Sheriff’s deputies arrested Jonathan Mora, 18, of Santa Fe on a drunken-driving charge Wednesday. He was driving without his headlights on and without a driver’s license. u Sheriff’s deputies arrested Joshua Armijo, 27, of Pecos on charges of drunken-driving and careless driving Tuesday. He lost control of his car and hit a tree at the side of Old Santa Fe Trail at Stone Cabin Road. Deputies said he was under the influence of prescription drugs at the time of the crash. u Sheriff’s deputies arrested Joshua Martinez, 21, of Chimayó on drunken-driving and careless driving charges. He was found by Española Police following a car crash on N.M. 76.
LOCAL & REGION
Navajo: Tribes Man freed in Tucson fire often accepted ‘thankful’ for new life same-sex unions The Associated Press
Continued from Page A-5 School of Law, said her research showed that tribes historically accepted gay unions. “In many of our tribal cultures, we called gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members as ‘two spirits,’ because there was a belief that they had two spirits captured within themselves,” she said. “They were treated specially and with a lot of respect.” Now, there is a struggle between the twospirit concept and the Christian influence, she said. “I think the national trend is definitely in favor of recognizing same-sex marriage,” said Kronk Warner, a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. “There are already several tribes who recognize same-sex marriages despite state law. … It’s as complicated an issue among tribes as it is in individual states.” Touchin, the council spokesman, said there was room for debate on the Navajo law. “The increased attention placed on gay marriage over the last few years certainly has the potential to make people, including the Navajo Nation’s lawmakers, rethink the issue,” he said. “However, most would agree that the Navajo Nation has taken a conservative approach to gay marriage. … Therefore, until legislation is introduced to address the Dine Marriage Act, we cannot be certain.” Nelson, however, is confident that change is on the horizon. “By around this time next year, if the law is repealed … that’s when we can be proud as a Navajo people.”
PHOENIX — Louis Taylor chokes up as he looks back on the 42 years he spent in prison, but he forgives those who put him there. Freedom, he says, is “the most precious thing in the world.” Taylor was convicted of a 1970 hotel fire in Tucson that killed 29 people. He was 16 when he was arrested, and he has consistently denied any involvement in the blaze. In April, he walked out of prison a free man after reaching a deal with prosecutors that allowed him to plead no contest to the charges, in which he didn’t admit guilt outright but was able to be released. Under the deal, Taylor, 59, also gave up his right to seek vindication or compensation from the state. Taylor doesn’t relive the past, but he’s quick to note he is innocent and was made a scapegoat. “I am just so thankful I am free and able to enjoy my freedom,” Taylor told The Arizona Republic in a recent interview. “All I can do is move forward. All of the people who did a bad deed, I forgive them.” The blaze was one of Arizona’s worst as hundreds of people gathered Dec. 20, 1970, at the Pioneer Hotel in Tucson to celebrate Christmas festivities. When the fire erupted, exits were blocked and fire truck ladders were too short to
reach the upper floors. Many guests were trapped in their rooms. Some jumped to their deaths while others burned alive. Most victims died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Taylor’s case Louis Taylor received renewed scrutiny after a new defense team and others raised questions about the evidence used to convict him. Authorities still insist Taylor is guilty, but they acknowledged at the time of his release that gaining a conviction at a new trial would be dicey given that some evidence has been lost and witnesses have either moved or died. They also noted that fire investigators for the defense and the state, reviewing the remaining evidence, say a cause of the blaze could not be determined, which also would have hampered efforts to secure a fresh conviction. Authorities say Taylor was found at the hotel with five boxes of matches and that an employee there told authorities he “found the defendant standing by himself simply looking at the fire” when the blaze broke out. Taylor could have continued his fight for a new trial aimed at vindication, but he took the deal to get out prison as soon as possible. “I never hurt anybody. I never started a fire,” Taylor told The Republic.
Funeral services and memorials JAMES HARM BEVERWYK 68, long-time resident of the Lyden community, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, December 24, 2013, following a heart attack. Jim, born in Zeeland, Michigan, attended secondary school in Grand Rapids, and in 1967 earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Michigan State University. Soon thereafter, Jim married his high school sweetheart, Mary Parsaca, and in 1968 together they joined the Peace Corps and served as secondary school teachers in Tara’nganya,
Kenya. Upon their return, the couple moved to Los Alamos in 1971 where Jim founded the Middle Earth Youth Center. From 1972 through 1980 Jim served as Director of Jemez House Children’s Ranch in Alcalde and in the following years until his retirement in 2010, held various counseling and teaching positions. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Jacob and Evelyn Nienhuis Beverwyk; a brother, John Beverwyk; and parents-in-law, Peter and Helen Parsaca. Jim is survived by his partner of 45 years, Mary Parsaca; his daughter, Tana Beverwyk-Abouda and husband Mustafa Kamel Abouda, their sons, Malik and Elias of Nambe; a brother, Robert Beverwyk and wife Carole of West Bloomfield, Michigan; beloved nieces, Jessica Ricardo of New Orleans and Mara E. Beverwyk of West Bloomfield, Michigan; adopted sons, Tony Padilla of Petiluma, California and Jimmy Leal and wife Loretta Garcia of Española; and sisters, Larke Beverwyk of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Jackie Lyttle of Grand Haven, Michigan. Jim’s large extended family, including sisters-and brothers-in-law, close friends, Lyden neighbors, work associates, and friendly bowling companions are also remembered with affection. Jim was known as an accepting friend, a helpmate, a community activist, a supporter of the needy, and an outdoorsman with a deep affinity to the land, the mountains, and the animals that surrounded him at his beloved home in Lyden. A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at the Alcalde Community Center on Saturday, January 4, 2014, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Jim’s name be sent to the San Martin de Porres Soup Kitchen, 216 S.R. 399, Española, NM 87532, the Española Teen Center, 1450 Iris St., Los Alamos, NM 87544 or online at laymca.org, or Somos Un Pueblo Unido, 1804 Espinacitas St., Santa Fe, NM 87505. The family of James Harm Beverwyk has entrusted their loved one to, DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Española Valley. 505-747-7477, www.devargasfuneral.com
LORENCITA MARTINEZ Age 88 and a lifelong resident of Santa Fe died Sunday, December 29, 2013. She was a devoted, loving mother and grandmother. Lorencita was retired from the New Mexico State Treasurers Office and was a dedicated member of the Cristo Rey Church Altar Society. She enjoyed creating New Mexico tin work and religious icon paintings. She was a proud proponent of her beloved Santa Fe, loved to sing and dance. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ascension and Dolores (Lola) Vigil; her brothers Bobby, Tony and Johnny; children; daughter and son, Kenneth. She is survived by her daughter, Dolores Leyba and husband Larry; sons Jose, Adrian and wife Kathy and Robert. She has ten grandchildren; Leonard and Michael Leyba, Vincent and Diego Martinez, Brian, Erica, A.J., Sara, Loren and Christopher Martinez; fourteen great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Her godson, David Griego gave much of his time in comforting and playing music to his beloved grandmother. Lorencita will be greatly missed by her family and friends. A visitation will be held on Sunday, January 5 at 5:00pm followed by a Rosary to be recited at 6:00pm at Cristo Rey Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, January 6 at 10:00am at Cristo Rey Church followed by a burial at Santa Fe National Cemetery.
Berardinelli Family Funeral Service 1399 Luisa Street Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 984-8600 Please sign our guestbook for the family at: www.berardinellifuneralhome.com
GLORIA MONTOYAMANARY
56, Resident of Espanola, passed away suddenly on Christmas Day, December 25, 2013. She is preceded in death by her daughter, Mona Barragan. She is survived by her loving husband of thirteen years to Charles Rollo Manary; her parents, Jose & Rose Montoya; sister, Shirley Montoya; godson/nephew, Chris Montoya; nieces, Chantel Montoya & Mercady Montoya (Lawrence Garcia) and their children Steven Garcia and Danielle Garcia, stepson, Bret Manary; stepdaughters, Charla McKinney (Larry); Carla Manary (Joe); Dessa Manary (Rolland); son-in-law, Robert Tito Barragan; sister in-laws, Charla Pinney (Owen)& Lorie Garcia (Rudy). Having retired from the City of Santa Fe with the Santa Fe Public Library as an Assistant Librarian. She was also a very active member with the Union AFSCME Local Union 3999. A Memorial Service will be recited at the Elk’s Lodge on Friday, January 3, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. All services are going thru Rivera Family Funeral Cremations.
LAUREN HAROLD PEPPLER Age 84, Born in Reed City, Michigan, a lifelong resident of Albuquerque. He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by, and in the comfort of his family, on December 27, 2013. He is survived by his loving wife Mary L.W. Peppler, and his two devoted daughters, Patricia L. Peppler and Mary L. Peppler with blessings of four grandchildren, Sam W. Roberts, Patricia L. Roberts; Elissa A. Peppler, Sharra L. Peppler/Montgomery along with great grandchildren Jacob W. Roberts, Nevaeh R. Roberts, and Wyatt E. Montgomery. He became a Real Estate Broker/Owner of Pep Realty Corporation. A Visitation will be held Thursday, January 2, 2014, from 4:00 7:00 p.m., at FRENCH - University. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 3, 2014 at 1:00 p.m., at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 300 Gold S.E., with Rev. Randy Walquist officiating. Interment will follow at Sandia Memory Gardens, 9500 San Pedro Dr. NE. A reception will follow Interment in the Parish Hall at Immanuel Lutheran Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church for Ysleta Lutheran Mission in El Paso, Texas. Please visit our online guest book for Lauren at www.FrenchFunerals.com. FRENCH - University 1111 University Blvd NE 505-843-6333 ANTHONY DAVID SILVA SR. JUNE 13, 1944 ~ DECEMBER 27, 2013
Rivera Family Funerals and Cremations 417 East Rodeo Rd. Santa Fe, NM 87505 Phone: (505)989-7032 Fax: (505)820-0435 santafefuneraloption.com IN LOVING MEMORY
JONATHAN S. GARCIA 1/9/77 TO 1/2/09
JON "You Will Live In Our Hearts Forever" Love, Jennifer, Ashlyn, Michelle, Eron, Mom, Dad, & Lyle
Anthony David Silva Sr. passed away on December 27, 2013 at his home in Cuarteles, NM surrounded by his loving wife and family. Mr. Silva battled cancer for many years and his family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made in his name to the American Cancer Society. Funeral arrangements are being handled privately to allow the family to mourn their great loss. Thank you for your prayers and condolences.
Celebrate the memory of your loved one with a memorial in The Santa Fe New Mexican
Call 986-3000