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6-month-old’s death Grand jury indictment charges Zapata man with second cousin’s demise By DENISE BLAZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A man is still in custody on a $1 million cash bond at the Zapata Regional Jail after an indictment returned by a grand jury charged him with killing an infant. The indictment filed
June 29 alleges that Gabriel Alvarez Briones, 35, hit his 6-month-old second cousin in the head, leading to the child’s death in Zapata earlier this year. Alvarez Briones, authorities said, is being held in isolation from the general population at the Zapata Regional Jail for
his own safety. According to the Office of the District Attorney, Alvarez Briones was babysitting his second cousin, Carlos Eduardo Gonzalez, while his wife drove Gonzalez’s mother to work March 28. At about 5:30 p.m., Zapata County Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene of a 911 call at the residence, where officials encountered the baby in a blan-
ket being held by his 19year-old mother. Paramedics on the scene indicated Gonzalez had his eyes closed and was moaning, according to officials. Reports state the mother said her child seemed to be OK when she returned home, but later noticed the baby was “very unresponsive” while she was changing his diaper.
See GRAND JURY PAGE 8A
HIGHER EDUCATION
A NEW TWIST ON GOING TO COLLEGE Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
A tire, empty paint cans and household garbage bags litter the scenic rest stop north of Zapata in this May 13 file photo.
Overlooks may close By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata County scenic overlooks are in danger of being shut down completely in the fall because of a lack of funding and staffing by the county and the Texas Department of Transportation. Eduardo Gracia Jr., Texas Department of Transportation Hebbronville Area engineer, said the agency has been responsible for cleaning the rest stops once or twice a week and requested help from the county. However, county officials said they needed time to look for an alternative solution because they said they also did not have the manpower to maintain the areas. TxDOT gave the county until the fall to act on the
trash and other debris at the scenic overlooks \in San Ygnacio and Zapata. The rest stops have become a burden to clean due to a lack of time and money. “It’s a shame,” Gracia said. “They’re nice parks, but our focus is to maintain existing roads with the available funding.” Gracia said. Earlier this year, TxDOT removed 11 rest stops from other counties leaving only three. The two rest stops still in Zapata County and one in Jim Hogg County are at risk of being shut down. Trash such as tires, flying debris, household appliances and animal carcasses became an issue with people visiting the rest stops.
See OVERLOOKS PAGE 8A
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
TAMIU students, from left, Mayra Martinez, Abigail Garza and Stephanie Vera prepare to board a van, part of the Zapata College Transportation Program, that will take them back to Zapata on Wednesday afternoon.
Students ride buses to Laredo classes By STEPHANIE M. IBARRA THE ZAPATA TIMES
I
t’s been nearly three months since Zapata County began its College Transportation Program, and the numbers of participating students continue to in-
crease. “We started with two and right now we have anywhere between 45 to 55 students registered for the fall semester,” said Laura Guerra, College Transportation Program director. Guerra credits the success
of the program to the “unconditional support from the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Foundation” and local commissioners, namely “Commissioner Gabriel Villarreal, Pct. 2, for providing the funding to
See COLLEGE PAGE 9A
CULTURE
County museum may open in September By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
The opening of the Zapata County museum has now been delayed until September at the earliest, officials said this week. Hildegardo Flores, Ph. D.,
chair of the museum’s Board of Directors, said a specific date is not certain but officials are looking at mid September. The opening has been delayed several times and had most recently been expected to occur in June. The museum has encoun-
tered several setbacks, ranging from cracks in the foundation to issues with acoustics and exhibit consultants. In several Commissioners’ Court meetings, Flores requested an independent architect to inspect foundation cracks, de-
laying the construction process further. Flores said an independent engineer has since surveyed the cracks on the floor and has identified them as superficial, meaning they would not affect the foundation. The cracks are
visible and the acoustics of the building are being affected, so carpet will be needed to hide the cracks and help improve acoustics. “Several problems came up
See MUSEUM PAGE 9A