05-24-2011

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Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY

Vol. 120, No. 124 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday

INSIDE NEWS

STATES’ IMMIGRATION EFFORTS FIZZLE MIAMI (AP) — Nearly ever y state in the union tried to tackle immigration on its own this year in the absence of any congressional movement on the matter, and more than half considered Arizona-style enforcement measures, up from just six in 2010. - PAGE A2

TOP 5 WEB For The Past 24 Hours

• Roswell woman shot, killed • Police arrest murder suspect • GHS graduates 219 • Police arrest murder suspect • Bolaños on RHS ’11: A great class

INSIDE SPORTS

CRANDALL TAKING OVER IN HAGERMAN HAGERMAN — Casey Crandall has spent the past nine years as an assistant football coach under three different head coaches for the Hagerman Bobcats. - PAGE B1

TODAY’S OBITUARIES • Kenneth Griffin • William Monhollen • Victoria Velasquez • Lloyd Chaves • Anthony Rodriguez • Ruth Carter • Joyce Marie Sparks - PAGE A7

HIGH ...94˚ LOW ....58˚

TODAY’S FORECAST

CLASSIFIEDS..........B5 COMICS.................B3 ENTERTAINMENT.....B6 FINANCIAL .............B4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8

INDEX

May 24, 2011

TUESDAY

www.rdrnews.com

Midwest twister death toll climbs to 116

AP Photo

Residents of Joplin, Mo., walk west on 26th Street near Maiden Lane, after a tornado hit the southwest Missouri city, Sunday.

Velasquez speaks out about domestic violence

Timber!

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Rescue crews dug through piles of splintered houses and crushed cars Monday in a search for victims of a half-mile-wide tornado that killed at least 116 people when it blasted much of this Missouri town off the map and slammed straight into its hospital. It was the nation’s deadliest single twister in nearly 60 years and the second major tornado disaster in less than a month. Authorities feared the toll could rise as the full scope of the destruction comes into view: house after house reduced to slabs, cars crushed like soda cans,

shaken residents roaming streets in search of missing family members. And the danger was by no means over. Fires from gas leaks burned across town, and more violent weather loomed, including the threat of hail, high winds and even more tornadoes. At daybreak, the city’s south side emerged from darkness as a barren, smoky wasteland. “I’ve never seen such devastation — just block upon block upon block of homes just completely gone,” said former state legislator Gary Burton who showed up to help at a volunteer center at Missouri Southern State

University. Unlike the multiple storms that killed more than 300 people last month across the South, Joplin was smashed by just one exceptionally powerful tornado. Not since a June 1953 tornado in Flint, Mich., had a single twister been so deadly. That storm also killed 116, according to the National Weather Service. Authorities were prepared to find more bodies in the rubble throughout this gritty, blue-collar town of 50,000 people about 160 See TWISTER, Page A3

JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER

Roswell City Councilor Elena Velasquez spoke Monday about the shooting death of her granddaughter, Victoria VelasquezArias. She said she hoped by speaking out that she might save a life in the future, by raising awareness about the dangers of domestic violence. “I want people to know that domestic violence is serious. Domestic abusers are killers,” Velasquez said. Velasquez-Arias, 22, was shot and killed Friday afternoon. Her husband, Jose Arias, 19, was arrested in December for beating VelasquezArias. He was arrested again, Saturday, for her murder. “This was not the first time he beat her. December was the first time she was hospitalized,” Velasquez said. “He kicked her. He bit See VELASQUEZ, Page A3

Mark Wilson Photo

Mike Anderson, a certified aerial specialist with Eric’s Tree Care out of Albuquerque and Los Lunas, gives a tree rigging demonstration to Roswell Parks and Recreation Department employees Friday at Cahoon Park.

City removes ‘hazardous’ trees from Cahoon Park EMILY RUSSO MILLER RECORD STAFF WRITER The City of Roswell spruced up Cahoon Park late last week by removing several Siberian Elm trees next to the public swim-

ming pool. Roswell Parks Superintendent Ken Smith says the 60-80-year -old trees were removed, Friday, for public safety. “We have a lot of trees that are past their maturi-

Arias arraigned on murder charges, tampering with evidence, in Velasquez case JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER Jose Arias, 19, was arraigned in Magistrate Court, Monday afternoon, on charges of first degree murder and tampering with evidence, as the result of the shooting death of 22year-old Victoria VelasquezArias. Around 12:55 p.m. Friday, Roswell Police Department received a 911 call. The caller said that the victim, Velasquez-Arias, had been shot in the neck. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Arias

Arias was apprehended moments after the first police of ficer arrived at 2800 W. Fourth St.

Officer Bart Devos noted a red Ford Fusion attempting to back out. He ordered the subject to stop and open the door several times. Devos then displayed his baton and told Arias he would break the window, at which time Arias complied. In the affadavit, which accompanies the criminal complaint, Devos stated he observed blood on the subject’s hands as he cuffed him. In the complaint filed at See ARIAS, Page A3

ty,” he said. “Lot of them are hazardous.” Over 370 “Priority One” trees have been removed since 2006, Smith said, after an expert tree company, Davey Resource Group, determined that

they could potentially cause damage to people and property. The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the International Society of ArboriculSee TREES, Page A3

Thyberg apprehended in Roswell after escape One of Roswell’s Most Wanted, Richard Thyberg, 22, was apprehended by the Roswell Police Department near the 500 block of East Beech Street, Monday afternoon. Thyberg, who was wanted after escaping from federal custody, was recognized by a member of the Chaves County Metro Task Force. “They bird-dogged him. They chased him

Thyberg

until he crashed into a gas meter. He got out of the vehicle and ran,” said RPD spokesman See THYBERG, Page A3

Pay-to-play scandal figure denies wrongdoing, Murphy pleads not guilty ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A Las Cruces businessman entangled into a pay-toplay scandal involving judicial appointments by former Gov. Bill Richardson says he did nothing wrong. Edgar Lopez spoke to the Albuquerque Journal for a story published Sunday. He told the paper that allegations that he collected cash from lawyers to be funneled to Richardson’s campaigns if they wanted to be appointed to judgeships were “absurd.” An incident report detail-

ing a bribery investigation into District Judge Michael Murphy of Las Cruces says Murphy told another lawyer about the “pay-to-play” scheme. Murphy is alleged to have said that a lawyer seeking a judgeship should put money in an envelope and deliver it to Lopez every week. Judge Murphy explained that Mr. Edgar Lopez was close friends with the gover nor and would handdeliver the envelopes to him,” according to the report.

Murphy

Lopez said he cooperated with investigators working for the special prosecutor in the case, District Attor-

ney Matt Chandler of Clovis. “I opened up my computers to try and show them what they were trying to prove was ridiculous,” he said. “We’ll just have to let the process continue until the end.” Murphy pleaded not guilty on Friday to felony bribery charges in the ongoing investigation. Lopez, 58, has not been charged with a crime. Richardson has denied that campaign contributions influenced his judicial

appointments and called the allegation “outrageous and defamatory.” Lopez runs a real estate investment business called IMA Inc. He is portrayed by government investigators as a political power broker who helped secure appointments by Richardson for those wanting to serve on Dona Ana County courts. Lopez, his wife and their business ventures contributed at least $54,700 to Richardson political camSee SCANDAL, Page A3


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