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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Current, ex-chiefs subpoenaed in Midland probe
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Wed., Feb. 19, 2003 -- The Town of Pecos City's current and former
police chiefs have been subpoenaed in connection with allegations of
prior offenses surround a former Pecos police officer who was recently
terminated as a junior high school guard in Midland following his arrest
on child pornography charges.
According to a story in today's Midland Reporter-Telegram, federal prosecutors
said John Peter Marquez, 41, who was arrested on Feb. 11 on a charge of sexual
exploitation of a minor, had previously been forced to resign his position
with the Pecos Police Department amid allegations he molested two junior
high boys.
The Reporter-Telegram said that the testimony was revealed during a federal
court hearing in Midland on Tuesday.
Town of Pecos City Police Chief Clay McKinney was not police chief at
that time. However, he said this morning, "Right now I'm in a situation where
I can't comment about this issue. I've been served a federal subpoena and
was advised not to discuss the matter with anyone."
Troy Moore was police chief at the time Marquez was terminated as a police
officer. Marquez began his employment with the police department first as
a dispatcher and later as a police officer during the 1980s and early 1990s,
before Moore took over as police chief.
Marquez is being charged with sexual exploitation of a minor after he
allegedly distributed child pornography to an undercover agent and attempted
to purchase illicit videos of junior high boys.
McKinney said that Moore had also been served with a federal subpoena
in connection with the case. "I know that they did serve him also," he said.
McKinney replaced Moore as Town of Pecos City Police Chief after Moore's
retirement in January 1998.
Marquez was terminated from his job with the Pecos PD in 1991. He then
went to work with the Texas Youth Commission, and at the time of his arrest
last week, was working as a security guard at Goddard Junior High School,
on the north side of Midland.
According to prosecutors, Marquez mailed $50 to an undercover Illinois
address for two videos, which showed pornographic images of boys between
the ages of 10 and 16.
"We contend he has a pattern of behavior and is dangerous with children,"
Assistant U.S. Attorney Glen Roque-Jackson told the Reporter-Telegram. The
U.S. Attorney's Office is asking the court to deny bond.
U.S. Magistrate Stuart Platt said he would take the matter under advisement
and is expected to make a decision on the issue of bond sometime today, according
to the newspaper.
Incumbents, ex-councilman file to run in elections
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Wed., Feb. 19, 2003 -- Three more individuals have signed up to run
in the May 3 elections, including two incumbents and a former council
member.
Incumbent Frank Sanchez has filed to retain his seat on the Town of Pecos
City Council, along with Danny Rodriguez, who had served on the council until
being defeated for re-election last year.
Filing opened Monday, for the Town of Pecos City, Pecos-Barstow-Toyah
ISD School trustee and Reeves County Hospital District Board elections on
May 3.
In the Town of Pecos City elections, three seats will be up for grabs
this May. Sanchez, Mayor Pro-Tem Gerald Tellez and councilman Johnny Terrazas
currently hold those two-year terms. Sanchez was elected to the council in
2001 after serving as Town of Pecos City Mayor in the 1980s.
The other incumbent to file was David Flores, who is seeking a new three-year
term on the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD school board. The positions held by Flores
and Steve Valenzuela will be open during the May election for the P-B-T school
board.
Precinct 2 representative and current RCH Board president Linda Gholson
filed to retain her seat on the board on the first day of filing on Monday.
Gholson's seat is one of two up for election this May, the other being the
seat in Precinct 4, currently held by Hugh Box.
Deadline to file an application for a place on the ballot is 5 p.m., Wednesday,
March 19.
Tuesday, March 4, will be the first day to accept applications to vote
by mail, and early voting by personal appearance will be held at the Pecos
Community Center, 508 S. Oak St., from April 16-29.
The last day a person may register to vote in the elections is April 3,
and the last day to receive applications for early voting ballots to be voted
by mail is April 25.
Balmorhea ISD and the city council seats in Balmorhea, Toyah and Barstow
will also have positions up for election on May 4.
Balmorhea City Council has three seats that will be open and Balmorhea
School Board has two positions currently held by Paul Matta and Tommy Ray
Dominguez.
I-20 accidents keep DPS, local EMTs busy
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Wed., Feb. 19, 2003 -- The Pecos Emergency Medical Service personnel
were called out this morning in reference to an accident on Interstate
20 at the Collie Road exit, two miles east of Pecos.
Texas Department of Public Safety Corporal Emmitt Moore said that at this
point it was hard to say what actually happened to the driver, whose vehicle
crashed into the overpass on the north side of I-20.
"It looks like he ran off the road," Moore said. "I have to speak with
him first. There is no evidence of anything harmful before this point."
He added that it looked like the driver hit the guardrail and slid into
the overpass' concrete pillar.
"Both passengers were wearing their seat belts and both air bags deployed,"
Moore said.
Emergency Medical Technicians removed the two occupants of the vehicle
and then transported them to Reeves County for treatment of their injuries.
The EMTs were also dispatched to a call yesterday during the noon hour
in reference to an accident involving a van at mile marker 27 on I-20, five
miles east of Toyah.
According to the DPS report the vehicle with Arizona plates was traveling
west on I-20 when it attempted to pass a tractor trailer.
As the driver began to pass the tractor trailer its left front tire blow
out causing its front end to hit the 18-wheeler near its left rear tires.
After hitting the truck the van then spun off the road.
DPS Trooper David Murphy said that the vehicle did not roll over at any
point.
The two occupants of the vehicle were transported to Reeves County Hospital,
Murphy said.
Murphy and Trooper Corey Brasher, also of Kermit are investigating the
accident.
FAA seeks info on Culberson helicopter crash
PECOS, Wed., Feb. 19, 2003 -- Details were scarce on a helicopter crash
that occurred Tuesday afternoon north of Interstate 10 near Kent in Culberson
County.
Federal Aviation Administration investigators in Lubbock said this morning
that they had not been informed of the accident, which occurred about 1:30
p.m. on Tuesday two miles north of I-10, and about 50 miles west of Pecos.
The FAA's Lubbock office is in charge of investigating aviation accidents
in the Permian Basin and Davis Mountains area, which includes Culberson County.
The Department of Public Safety office in Van Horn said a trooper from
that office had investigated the incident, but had not yet submitted a report
on the crash.
Two people were reportedly inside the helicopter when it went down, but
no serious injuries were reported.
Weather
PECOS, Wed., Feb. 19, 2003 -- High Tuesday 82. Low this morning 54. Forecast
for tonight: Cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Lows around 40. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Thursday: Cloudy with
a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs around 60.
East winds 5 to 15 mph. Thursday night: Cloudy with a 60 percent chance
of showers and thunderstorms. Lows around 40. Friday: Cloudy with a
40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs 60 to 65. Saturday:
Partly cloudy. Lows 30 to 35. Highs around 70.
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 news@pecos.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 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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