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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Tuesday, July 16, 2002
Teenage car thieves apprehended after
high-speed chase, all-night search
Jennifer Galvan
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tuesday, July 16, 2002 -- Law enforcement officers captured
two teen-age boys today after a local man spotted them near North Pecan
Street and called police. The Midland boys' life of crime began last night
when they fled from Reeves County Sheriff's Deputies in a Chevy Blazer.
The search for the two boys began when a call from Ward County was made
to the Reeves County Sheriff's Department at about 9:45 p.m. yesterday
in regards to $18 worth of gas being stolen in Wickett.
Lieutenant Mike Dominguez of the Reeves County Sheriff's Department
said the call advised that a red Chevy Blazer was traveling westbound and
headed towards Pecos.
According to Deputy Arturo Granado's report as he was traveling East
on Interstate 20, he noticed the Blazer at mile marker 45 where he then
turned around and stopped the vehicle at mile maker 44.
"Deputy Granado spotted the vehicle and made the stop," Lt. Dominguez
said. "However, when he (Granado) started to approach the vehicle they
took off."
As the vehicle fled from Granado, he then turned on his emergency lights
and sirens and advised dispatch that he was in pursuit of the Blazer.
At this point, the driver managed to exit off mile maker 42 traveling
at about minimum speed of 70 heading north on highway 285, Dominguez said.
As the vehicle arrived at the intersection of 285 and East 4th
the Blazer turned east on 4th at a high rate of speed lost control
and hit a parked car owned by Pecos Enterprise Managing Editor Jon Fulbright.
After hitting Fulbright's car, the vehicle turned north at the 300 block
of South Ash Street, in which it then ran through a stop sign on 3rd
and Ash, Dominguez said.
After running the stop sign, the driver then ran through a yield sign
at 2nd and Ash.
According to Granado's report the vehicle approached the 100 block of
Ash, the blazer lost control almost striking a moving train. As that point,
the Blazer then made a sharp turn heading south almost striking a residence
causing it to turn north and lose control at which point it then hit a
fence before coming to a complete stop.
When the vehicle came to a complete stop, the two occupants ran.
According to Dominguez, the vehicle belonged to the driver's mother.
The teenage boy had taken the keys from his mother's purse and left.
"The boys were heading to Van Horn to see a girlfriend," Lt. Dominguez
said. "I spoke to the drivers parents last night. In fact they are in town
right now."
Last night's search for the two boys was headed by the Reeves County
Sheriff's Department with the help of the Pecos Police Department and the
Ward County Sheriff's department.
According to Lt. Dominguez, the search covered an area of about six
miles but was called off at about 4:30 this morning. They were about to
begin a second search by helicopter when they received a call that the
boys had been seen at the 100 block of North Pecan, he said.
According to Granado, the boys were spotted wondering around a shed
in which they were hiding.
A neighbor who happened to be working on his roof spotted the boys and
then called the police.
The two boys were apprehended and taken to Reeves County Juvenile Detention
Center in Pecos.
Bow-wow
Calling all ugly dogs
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tuesday, July 16, 2002 -- KWES-TV News West 9 will be in Pecos
on Thursday afternoon sponsoring an Ugly Dog Contest and Hot Dog Eating
Contest.
The television station is taking its news broadcast on the road this
week across West Texas and Southeast New Mexico as part of the 10th
anniversary of, "Under West Texas Skies."
Thursday the Channel 9 news at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. will be broadcast
from the West of the Pecos Museum courtyard.
News West 9 is scheduled to travel to five different communities during
the week, according to Cliff Voake, with News West 9 public affairs.
"All five of this week's stops will feature free refreshments, soft
drinks and water, courtesy of Coca-Cola," said Voake.
All five stops will also feature an Ugly Dog Contest and a Hot Dog-Eating
Contest. Those who visit during the broadcasts will have a chance to register
and win a Caribbean Cruise, he said.
"We welcome everybody," said West of the Pecos Museum Director Debbie
Thomas. "We'd like to make a good impression and have a good turnout on
Thursday," she said.
Thomas said she would like to see everyone in the community to go to
the museum Thursday and welcome the News West 9 crew. "We want to have
a big crowd," she said.
"Whether you have a great dane, a handsome hound or a pug that only
a mother could love, here's a chance to show-off your special canine friend
on a regional television broadcast, and perhaps take home a prize," said
Voake.
There's no entry fee to be part of the fun, according to Voake. "Just
bring your canine pal to the broadcast location by 5 p.m., local time,"
he said.
Judging will take place during the 5 p.m., broadcast of News West 9,
and winners will be announced during the 6 p.m., broadcast. Prizes will
be awarded, a trophy for the owner, and treats for the pet.
A Hot Dog-Eating Contest will also be a part of the fun. The contest
will take place during the 6 p.m., broadcast of News West 9, winners will
be announced, and trophies and ribbons will be awarded.
The news team was in Hobbs, N.M., on Monday; in Seminole today and will
be in Fort Stockton on Wednesday and in Alpine on Friday.
Fake doctor caught on I-20 for speeding
Jennifer Galvan
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tuesday, July 16, 2002 -- A women on probation and posing as
a doctor was arrested on Thursday, July 11, after being stopped on a traffic
violation.
According to Lieutenant Mike Dominguez of the Reeves County Sheriff's
Department, Rhonda Soto, a woman in her thirties from Wichita, Kansas,
was stopped on Interstate 20 near mile marker 37 for speeding.
According to the statement Soto made to Lt. Dominguez, she was living
in Wichita with her husband claiming to be pregnant.
She had convinced her husband of being pregnant by wearing a pillow
for nine months.
Lt. Dominguez said that he believes that when her nine months were up
she got nervous and traveled to Celia, Kansas. While there, she pretended
to be a doctor by going to a second hand store and purchasing some light
blue scrubs.
According to Dominguez, Soto had a doctor's name and the word pediatrician
embroidered on the scrubs.
Soto then went to a hospital posing as a doctor and would hold conversations
with other doctors.
While at St. Joseph's hospital in Celia, Soto asked for a tour of the
pediatrics ward but according to her statement to Lt. Dominguez, she never
had contact with any children.
After her tour at St. Joseph's hospital, Soto then decided to go home,
he said.
According to her statement, Soto said that she had told her husband
that her water had broken while in Celia and that she would admit herself
to the hospital.
Later she then went on to tell her husband that a nurse had kidnapped
her baby. She then told him that she had hired a detective from Wichita
who had found her baby. The detective was to fly into Ft. Worth were Soto
would then meet him to retrieve her baby, she said.
At that point, Soto just got in her car and drove to Ft. Worth and stayed
there for some time before traveling to El Paso and also staying there.
According to Lt. Dominguez, when they searched Soto's car, they found
baby clothing, diapers, a car seat, baby bottles and several other items.
"There are a few other things that I can't reveal," Dominguez said.
"It would mess up the investigation."
When asked if Soto had actually stolen any babies, Dominguez said that
at this point in time they could not prove that any babies were taken.
According to Lt. Dominguez, Soto has three other children that live
with their biological father.
Soto is being held at the Reeves County Jail awaiting extradition to
Kansas.
Though Soto has tried to call her husband, Dominguez said that there
is no answer.
As of now Soto is being held for violation of her probation.
School board set to discuss cutting assistant principals
The elimination of administrative positions will be the topic of discussion
at a special Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD board meeting scheduled for Thursday.
The group will meet at 6 p.m., in the Technology Center, 1301 S. Eddy
and the public is invited to attend.
The group had discussed the elimination of assistant principals at Austin
Elementary School and Crockett Middle School, but the item was tabled at
the last regular board meeting. The positions are currently vacant and
by not hiring an individual for the position, the district would save money,
according to PBT-ISD Superintendent Don Love.
Board members will also discuss adoption of a new District Electronic,
Communication and Data Acceptance Use Policy, dental insurance, GAP insurance
and long term care insurance.
School board members will meet behind closed doors in closed session
to deliberate the "appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties,
discipline or dismissal of a public officer or employee and/or to hear
a complaint or charge against an officer or employee.
The board's agenda cited the Texas Open Meetings Act Section 551.074
(a) as authorization for the closed session.
The group is then scheduled to return to open session and take action,
if any, on items discussed in closed session as required by law.
The group will have a budget workshop, immediately following the special
meeting.
Community Council accepting applications
PECOS, Tuesday, July 16, 2002 -- Community Council of Reeves County will
begin accepting applications for school supplies for low income families
beginning next Monday, July 22.
Clients must pick up applications at 700 W. Daggett Street, Suite F.
An appointment will be set up when the completed application is submitted.
Deadline for applications is July 26.
Police Report
EDITOR'S NOTE: Information contained in the Police
Report is obtained from reports filed by the Pecos Police Department, Reeves
County Sheriff's Office, or other officers of those agencies.
The serving of warrants by an officer for outstanding fines of either
traffic citations, animal control violations or other court costs are considered
arrests and will be printed as such unless indicated that the fines were
paid. In such instanced we will indicate payment and release.
***
Ester Hinojos Marquez, 42, was arrested at 10:03 p.m., on July 15 at
the Del Rio Bar for public intoxication.
***
Julio Franco, 20, was arrested at 7:46 p.m., on July 13 at Maxey Park
on a Reeves County Sheriff's Office Capias Pro Fine warrant for disorderly
conduct.
***
Pablo Saldana, 52, was arrested at 1:31 a.m., on July 14 in the 1300
block of South Eddy Street for public intoxication.
***
Jaime Cazarez, 20, Noe Nunez, 21, and Jesus Franco, 21, were arrested
at 2:13 a.m., on July 14 at Flying J Truckstop for disorderly conduct for
fighting.
***
Alberto Perez, 21, was arrested at 3:39 a.m., on July 12 in the 1200
block of East Second Street on several warrants for no operator's license,
motion to revoke probation and theft by checks.
***
Carlos Martinez, 38, was arrested at 1:18 a.m., on July 9 in the 400
block of North Elm Street for resisting arrest and assault.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail newsdesk@nwol.net
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.
Copyright 2002 by Pecos Enterprise
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