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Young fugitive back behind bars

By Karl Moffatt
Las Vegas Optic

A 20-year-old man who fled town last summer after an overnight stay with a woman turned sour is back behind bars on charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault, child abuse, tampering with evidence and fleeing from police.

Rosendo Dimas, formerly of the 5900 block of Airport Road in Santa Fe, is being held in the San Miguel County Detention Center in lieu of a $50,000 cash bond after the long arm of the law found him at the Chavez County jail, where he was being held on an unrelated drug case, according to court records.

Mora sheriff faces more sanctions

By Karl Moffatt
Las Vegas Optic

In the wake of being charged with tampering with public records and criminal solicitation, embattled Mora County Sheriff Thomas Garza now faces further disciplinary action from the state Law Enforcement Academy board.

The same board suspended Garza’s law enforcement certification for 120 days and placed him on one year’s probation last July in a separate case that did not produce any criminal charges.

Wife of ex-judge resigns

By Karl Moffatt
Las Vegas Optic

The wife of retired District Judge Eugenio Mathis has resigned her court clerk supervisor’s position with the 4th Judicial District, according to court records.

Michelle Pino-Mathis resigned for “personal reasons” effective April 26, according to a May 7 letter issued by the court in response to a public records request submitted by the Optic in March.

Mayor’s travel tops $9,500

By Karl Moffatt
Las Vegas Optic

In the last 10 months Las Vegas Mayor Alfonso Ortiz has spent more than two months on the road logging about 4,000 miles while attending some 30 official functions at a cost of $9,500 to the city.

“And it was worth every penny of it,” says City Manager Tim Dodge of his boss’ travels.

A lobbyist would cost the city around $25,000 just for the legislative session and couldn’t possibly bring the level of expertise and devotion to the job that Ortiz does, Dodge says.

Party preceded fatal crash

By Karl Moffatt
Las Vegas Optic

Witnesses testifying in a preliminary hearing against Wayne Lovato on Monday claimed that the youth was speeding when he leaned over and tried to kiss a girl riding in the front passenger seat of his car before the fatal wreck that left two teens dead and several others injured.

“We were on the highway, Wayne leaned over to kiss Kayla (Esquibel) and that’s when we flipped,” said Reyes Rubio, 21, testifying during a lengthy hearing before juvenile court Judge Abigail Aragon on Monday.

FBI agent charged with wife’s slaying

The Associated Press

STAFFORD, Va. — An FBI agent in Stafford County is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his estranged wife.

The Free Lance-Star  reports that Arthur “Art” Gonzales told dispatchers he killed 42-year-old Julia Serna Gonzales in self-defense when he says she attacked him with a knife. Both Gonzales and his wife had ties to Las Vegas.

The 43-year-old defendant surrendered to authorities on Friday and is being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bail.

Mora: Lawyers lining up to help

Mora County officials say attorneys from around the country are lining up to help them after the commission adopted a controversial community rights ordinance that bans oil and gas extraction.

The ordinance is controversial because it seeks to restrict the rights that courts have said corporations enjoy. Mora County is believed to be the first county in the nation to adopt such an ordinance.

Help for veterans - Vietnam vets to get equine assist

Roberto Ortiz is no stranger to fighting to stay alive on foreign soil. The effects of flying bullets and being in a war-torn county still are vivid in his mind. But recently Ortiz and several other  Vietnam veterans have been getting help through a program that pairs veterans with horses.

Earlier this year the local Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter No. 1063 teamed up with the local Ride to Pride program, the goal being to help veterans deal with mental and behavioral health issues using equine-assisted therapy.

State facing medical access difficulties

By Barry Massey
The Associated Press

SANTA FE  — New Mexicans could have longer waits for a doctor or specialist as demand grows for medical services because of an aging population and expanded insurance coverage under a federal health care law, legislative auditors said Wednesday.

A report released by the Legislative Finance Committee said state residents could encounter growing problems of access to medical care due to the potential need of 2,000 physicians, 3,000 registered nurses and as many as 800 dentists.

Cowboys split on day one at Metro

Down to the last weekend of the regular season, the New Mexico Highlands baseball team (27-21, 23-15 RMAC) split Saturday’s twinbill at Metro State, losing 12-8, then winning 8-5.

Cory Falvey’s three-run homer in the top of the third staked the Cowboys to a 3-0 lead in game one. And it was 4-2 midway through the fifth after a bases-loaded walk scored Tyler Hayes.

But the Roadrunners came up big in the bottom half, as Jacob Nelson’s three-run homer allowed the home team to grab a 5-4 edge.

Copyright © 2013

The Las Vegas Optic is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in San Miguel County and Las Vegas, NM, and the surrounding area.