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SCHOOL SHOOTING
FEDERAL COURT
Shooter wounds 2
Man says not guilty By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A man indicted for smuggling four illegal immigrants in the San Ygnacio area pleaded not guilty Thursday to the charges filed against him.
A complaint filed Nov. 12 alleges that four suspected illegal immigrants followed Gonzalez until agents detained them.
Photo by Ed Andrieski | AP
ABOVE: Sheriffs deputies stand guard over students at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colo., on Friday, where a student wounded two others before he apparently killed himself, authorities said. BELOW: Girls comfort each other on the football field after a shooting incident at Arapahoe High School.
Man enters school hunting for a teacher By DAN ELLIOTT ASSOCIATED PRESS
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — A teenager who may have had a grudge against a teacher opened fire Friday with a shotgun at a suburban Denver high school, wounding two fellow students before killing himself. Quick-thinking students alerted the targeted teacher, who quickly left the building, and police immediately locked down the scene on the eve of the Newtown massacre anniversary, a somber reminder of how commonplace school violence has become. One of the wounded students, a girl, was hospitalized and in serious condition. The other student suffered minor injuries and
was expected to be released from the hospital later Friday evening, Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said. Robinson initially reported that the girl was wounded after confronting the gunman, but he later said that did not appear to be the case. Another nearby hospital reported that it treated a third student who was not shot. The gunman made no attempt to hide the weapon when he entered the school from a parking lot and started asking for the teacher by name, Robinson said. When the teacher learned that he was being targeted, he left “in an effort to try to en-
See SHOOTING
US GOVERNMENT
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Guadalupe Gonzalez Jr., 34, waived his presence at arraignment set for Thursday in Courtroom 3C before U.S. Magistrate Judge Guillermo R. Garcia. Furthermore, he submitted a plea of not guilty. Gonzalez remains in federal custody on a $75,000 bond. Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen, was charged with one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants within the United States and two counts of transport of and attempt to transport undocumented immigrants for financial gain, according to the indictment filed Dec. 3. Gonzalez could face up to 10 years behind bars per count if he’s found guilty, the indictment states. U.S. Border Patrol agents detained him Nov. 7 in the San Ygnacio area. That afternoon, a boat coming from the Mexican riverbanks made landfall on U.S. soil, about 25 yards away from where agents were located. A complaint filed Nov. 12 alleges that four suspected illegal immigrants followed Gonzalez until agents detained them. Agents detained Gonzalez about 100 yards away, according to court records. Two immigrants held as material witnesses in the case testified that Gonzalez instructed them to follow him. Gonzalez denied the allegation. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Cap on visas reached Special document for crime victims exhausted in months By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
McALLEN — The federal government has already reached its cap on special visas for crime victims, just a few months into the fiscal year, the fastest the limit has been reached since the U.S. government started issuing them in 2008, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The visas are meant to help authorities investigate crimes committed against people who are not legally in the U.S. and to provide a level of security to crime victims who otherwise might fear they could be deported if they come forward. Some advocates say it’s a positive sign that the program is being used. It may also suggest that Congress should revisit the statutory cap of 10,000 on the so-called U visas. The agency announced the cap was reached Wednesday, less than 2 1/2 months into the fiscal year. The second-fastest year to the cap was 2010 —
the first year it was reached — but that took 9 1/2 months. Although the cap has been reached, the agency continues accepting and reviewing petitions. Those initially deemed eligible are placed on a waiting list and will be in line to receive a U visa when next year’s allotment is offered beginning Oct. 1. The visas were created in legislation passed in 2000, and the agency has issued them to more than 89,600 victims and family members since 2008. About 75 percent of U visas are granted on the basis of domestic violence or sexual assault crimes. In exchange for helping authorities investigate or prosecute crimes, victims are permitted to remain in the country for four years and apply for a work permit. After three years, they can apply to be legal permanent residents. Victims must first get a “certification of helpfulness” from a local, state or federal investigating agency or a prosecutor or judge, and some agencies
may balk, at least initially. Capt. Norberto Leal of the Hidalgo County Sheriff ’s office in South Texas said his agency receives a request to certify for a U visa application every week. “Them (victims) having access to this or the potential qualification for a visa status, they’re sometimes more willing to cooperate with our agency,” Leal said. Typically, the victims are referred to him by nonprofit organizations that provide legal aid or work with victims of domestic violence. One of those groups is Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, which provides legal services to low-income Texans and immigrants who have entered the country illegally. The organization represents hundreds of victims applying for U visas every year, said attorney Lauren Joyner. “Victims already face incredibly long wait times for a decision on their application for a visa and
See VISAS
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Courtesy photo
A Sheriff’s Office dog sits near 76 baggies of cocaine and other items seized Tuesday.
Man jailed after bust By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata County Sheriff ’s officials busted a suspected street-level drug dealer Tuesday with several individual doses of cocaine and marijuana, plus drug paraphernalia, authorities said Friday. Sheriff ’s Office Narcot-
ics Task Force investigators charged Angel Humberto Saldañadel Bosque SALDAÑA-DEL with possesBOSQUE sion of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony, and posses-
sion of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor. He was behind bars at the Zapata Regional Jail as of Friday afternoon. Sheriff Alonso M. Lopez and Chief Raymundo del Bosque mentioned hard work and dedication paid off in this bust.
See SEARCH WARRANT PAGE 11A