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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
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Top Stories

Friday, January 8, 1999

Hit-and-run death results in indictment

By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
Reeves County grand jurors on Thursday worked most of the afternoon to indict three defendants, including the driver involved in a hit-and-run accident in which the victim later died.

Rebecca Ann Campos, 33, is charged with failure to stop and render aid to Jesus Olivas Ortiz on Dec. 20, 1998, after her vehicle struck the victim on U.S. Highway 285.

Campos failed to give her name, address, vehicle registration number and name of her liability insurance carrier to anyone, and did not assist Ortiz, who was in need of medical treatment, the indictment alleges.

A passing motorist found Ortiz lying in the northbound land of U.S. Highway 285 just north of the railroad tracks just after 2 a.m. He stopped and protected the victim while police and an ambulance were summoned.

Ortiz, 57, was suffering from a head wound, but also showed evidence of having been beaten before he was stuck by the vehicle, said Freddy Contreras, who investigated the accident. Ortiz died on Dec. 24 at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa.

The grand jury re-indicted Juan Daniel Sanchez, 32, for alleged aggravated kidnapping on Sept. 5. The first indictment was dismissed for further investigation.

Sanchez is charged with abducting a female on Sept. 5, 1998 with intent to violate and sexually abuse her. In so doing, he used a handgun and threatened to kill the victim, the indictment alleges.

Jacob Reyes Rodriguez, 18, is charged with burglary of a building on Sept. 19, 1998. He allegedly took two 12-packs of beer from a building owned by Harry Barron.

Midlanders' night ride ends with arrests

By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
Four juveniles are in "hot water" after being caught by Reeves County Sheriff's deputies driving a stolen vehicle out of Midland early Thursday morning.

The three male juveniles were taken to the Reeves County Detention Center while the female juvenile with them was returned to her home in Midland.

The incident began at about 4 a.m. Thursday when an employee at the Town and Country Convenience Store, located on 900 block of West Palmer St., reported a vehicle that had driven off without paying for gas.

"It started with a gasoline drive-off, and while the dispatcher was taking down that information one of our officers, Ernest Bustillos, remembered hearing of the description of that vehicle," said Reeves County Sheriff Andy Gomez.

Gomez stated that Bustillos went to the teletype and looked up the information, which he remembered hearing about. "Sure enough it was a stolen vehicle out of Midland," said Gomez.

Bustillos immediately notified the Balmorhea Deputy Danny Reynolds to be on the lookout for the vehicle, which Reynolds later stopped on Highway 17 and Farm Road 2903 in downtown Balmorhea.

The female stated that she did not want to be with the three male juveniles. According to the sheriff's report, the female was at home in Midland when the three drove up. She was talking to them outside the house, it was cold and she decided to get in the vehicle to warm up. They all drove off then even though she told them she wanted to leave the vehicle. The teen was later driven back to Midland.

Owner of the stolen vehicle is Pedro E. Aranda, 502 S. Stonewall, Midland.

Gomez stated that it was good policework on the part of all deputies who worked the case. "I'm just glad Ernie remembered the description of the vehicle and took time to look it up," said Gomez.

Ft. Stockton trio facing pot smuggling charges

By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
Three Fort Stockton residents were among the 38 defendants indicted Thursday by the federal grand jury for the Pecos Division.

They were charged with importing, possessing and conspiracy to possess marijuana for distribution, as were 11 other defendants.

Four were charged with importing and possessing marijuana for distribution, and one of those had the additional charge of assault on a federal officer.

Four are charged with possession and conspiracy to possess marijuana for distribution, while eight are charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Two each are charged with transporting illegal aliens and illegal re-entry after deportation. False claim to citizenship, importing and possessing cocaine for distribution and failure to appear charges against one defendant each round out the indictments.

Area residents named in the indictments are:

Guadalupe Flores, 19, Jesus Aaron Flores, 20, and Edgar Enrique Flores, 21, all of Fort Stockton; Ruben Leyva-Galindo Jr. 19, of Odessa and Roberto Aguilar-Rodriguez, 20, of Terlingua; import, possess and conspire to possess 221.04 pounds of marijuana with intent to distribute on Dec. 29, 1998.

The enhanced penalty for 50 kilograms of marijuana is 20 years maximum prison term, a $1 million fine and 3-5 years supervised release.

Juan Ubaldo Reyes-Gonzalez, 34, of Hobbs, N.M., is charged with importing, possessing and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 62.5 pounds of marijuana on three separate occasions, beginning in August, 1997.

Robert Venegas, 23, of Odessa, is charged with importing and possessing cocaine for distribution on Dec. 29. The enhanced penalty for 500 grams of cocaine is 5-40 years in prison, a $2 million fine and 4-5 years supervised release.

RCDC contracts top commissioners' agenda

Ratifications on several items deadline with the Reeves County Detention Center and its planned 1,000 bed expansion will be
on the agenda for the regular Reeves County Commissioners Court meeting scheduled for 10 a.m., Monday on the third floor of
the Reeves County Courthouse.

The meeting will be the first regularly scheduled session for new commissioners David Castillo, representing Precinct 2, and
Gilberto "Hivi" Rayos, who will represent Precinct 4.

Commissioners will discuss and take action on ratifications of architectural services contract for Reeves County Detention
Center 1,000 bed addition; ratification of construction manager at risk contractors for RCDC 1,000 bed addition and
ratification of physician services contract awards.

The group will discuss the Banes General Contractor's application and payment for RCDC addition support shell and recreation
buildings.

They will award bid for employee uniforms; discuss and appoint a salary grievance committee and administer bond and oath of
elected officials and non-elected appointees.

In other business commissioners will administer the bond and oath of deputy district clerk and approve the deputation for a
Reeves County Sheriff's Deputy.

Other items on the agenda include:

* Discuss/take action on reports from various departments.

* Discuss/take action on budget amendments and line-item transfers.

* Discuss/take action on personnel and salary changes (sheriff's office).

* Discuss/take action on minutes from previous meeting.

* Discuss/take action on semi-monthly bills.

* Discuss/take action semi-monthly bills.

* Spread on minutes: notice of over-axle over-gross weight permits and a resolution appointing representative to tax appraisal
board - Wynn Hamilton.

Appraisal board OKs repairs, new phones

By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
Building repairs and telephone replacement were the main items discussed at the quarterly board meeting of the Reeves County Appraisal District on Wednesday.

An area on the south side of the appraisal district building will be re-graveled and a cable installed at the end to stop traffic there, the board decided during the meeting. "There was just too much traffic going through there," said chief appraiser Carol King Markham.

Other repairs approved include replacing some concrete at the entrance that has deteriorated.

Board members also voted to replace the district's telephone system, awarding the contract to the lowest bidder, GTE. The appraisal district received two bids one from GTE for $1,204 and the other from Allcomm for $1,672.

In other business the Reeves County Court-at-Law Judge Lee Green administered the oath office to officers for new terms on the board. "They chose to re-elect the 1998 officers," said Markham of the board's selections.

VaLera Gatewood will again be chairman of the board; Brenda McKinney, vice-president and Linda Gholson will be secretary.

Board members approved the minutes of the October meeting; expenses and balances for October, November and December; appraisal schools for staff and a listened to a progress report.

The progress report for the final quarter showed a surplus which will be given back to the jurisdiction after the April audit is done by Card and Company.

A methods, standards and procedures review was given by the comptroller.

Pecos Valley Crime Stoppers

Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 in reward for information leading to the arrest and grand jury indictment of the person(s) responsible for the incident described below.

On November 11, Pecos Fire Marshall Jack Brookshire was contacted by Pecos High School in reference to an arson which had occurred in the new gym located at the high school.

Upon arrival evidence was seen where a small fire had been started on a door on the northwest end of the new gym. It appeared that a poster board on the door had been set on fire. There was minor smoke damage to the door and the plastic door cover on the door closer had melted.

Anyone with information on this crime or any other crime including narcotics call crime stoppers at 445-9898 and you will remain anonymous.

Obituary

Felipe Flores

Felipe D. Flores, 66, died Jan. 6, 1999 at Reeves County Hospital.

A rosary will be held on Friday, Jan. 8, at Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church in Barstow.

Mass is scheduled for 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 9, at Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church in Barstow with burial at Barstow Cemetery.

He was born May 1, 1932 in Barstow and was a retired welder, a lifetime resident of Barstow, and was a Catholic.

He is preceded in death by his parents Simon Flores and Francisca Delarosa Flores and one brother, Ignacio Flores.

Survivors include one sister Sebestiana F. Madrid of Odessa; three brothers, Tomas Flores and Isabel Flores of Pecos, Abram Flores of Barstow and several nieces and nephews.

Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Weather

High Thursday 77; low last night 50. Tonight, mostly cloudy this evening, then decreasing cloudiness before midnight. Breezy and colder with a low in the mid 20s. north to northeast wind 15-25 mph and gusty diminishing late. Saturday, sunny. High in the mid 50s. Wind becoming southwest 10-15 mph.



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Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
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