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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
Police say arrests pending
after two shot in gang fight
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., May 27, 2003 -- Two alleged gang members were shot, and a third
person was beaten early Saturday morning following an incident on the south
side of Pecos.
No arrests have been made as of yet in the case, in which two people
were grazed in the head by bullets and a third person was assaulted with
a baseball bat in the 2300 block of Country Club Drive.
Pecos Police Lt. Kelly Davis said that the call came in at 2 a.m., about
shots being fired out at the 2300 block of Country Club Drive. Davis said
that Pecos Police Sgt. Ishmael Gamboa, Patrol Officers Cesario Urias and
Julio Quinones, Reeves County Deputy Danny Leos, and Texas Department of
Public Safety Senior Cpl. Emmit Moore and Trooper Richard Crum responded
to the scene.
One person, later identified as Mike Garcia, 18, was found at the scene
with a gunshot wound, and was transported by ambulance to Reeves County
Hospital, while EMS workers at the scene also treated a second person, identified
as Jesus Manuel Martinez, 25, for injuries.
Upon arrival, Davis said that there seemed to have been a previous altercation
one block away, at 2310 S. Eddy St., where a car window had been broken.
The car vandalized on Eddy Street is registered to Ruben Jimenez, Davis
said.
"He (Jimenez) stated that he shot at the B.P.G. (Brown Pride Gang) members
after they shot at him," Davis said.
About 30 minutes after officers arrived at Country Club Drive, a second
ambulance call was reported for a shooting victim on West 14th Street.
"A call came in at 2:34 a.m. at the 200 block of West 14th in reference
to a male subject with gun shot wounds to the head," Davis said. "The individual
was Julian Olivas Jr."
He added that Olivas, 20, was transported to the emergency room at Reeves
County Hospital where he refused treatment and was released.
"He was involved in the incident," Davis said. "He started running when
the shooting occurred."
Garcia also suffered from a minor gun shot wound to the back of the head
and was transported to Reeves County Hospital were he was treated and released.
Though there were four bullet shells found at the scene, Davis said that
they had not recovered a gun but had recovered a knife and two baseball
bats at various locations.
The other local B.P.G. member involved was identified as Miguel Jurado,
17. Davis said that both Garcia and Jurado walked up to the scene where
the shootings occurred.
Martinez sustained one broken bone when he was beaten outside the house
on Country Club Drive, Davis said.
The report also stated that the vehicle the gang members were in was also
vandalized at the scene, with the windshield broken out both tires on the
driver's side of the vehicle punctured.
Davis added incident took place at the residence of Mark Salazar and that
the vehicle that was vandalized on Country Club Drive belonged to Elario
Bustamantes.
According to Davis, they know that more people are involved but are waiting
on statements before making any arrests.
Overnight I-20 traffic stop turns up 17 illegals in truck
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., May 27, 2003 -- A traffic stop for speeding early this morning
on Interstate 20 west of Pecos led to the discovery of 17 illegal aliens,
including a mother and her baby, hidden in the cargo area of a utility truck
headed from El Paso to Dallas.
Department of Public Safety Trooper Arnulfo Rivas made the traffic stop,
shortly before 2 a.m. today on I-20 near the 33-mile marker, seven miles
west of Pecos. Rivas said there were two men in the passenger's compartment
of the truck when he pulled the truck over for speeding, and later called
in other troopers along with Reeves County sheriff's deputies to help with
the investigation after the 17 illegal aliens were found hidden behind pieces
of furniture stacked in the rear of the truck.
"He said he was going from El Paso to Dallas," Rivas said. "At least
that's where he said he was going. He said he was supposed to be moving
his furniture to Dallas."
Reeves County Chief Deputy Victor Prieto said that the driver, who was
not identified, was a United States citizen, but was operating the truck
with a suspended license. "He was placed under arrest and after that they
found the people in there."
Rivas said he did not hear any of the illegal aliens inside the truck
when he first made the traffic stop, and didn't discover them until opening
the rear cargo door and checking the area behind the furniture.
Temperatures were in the low 70s when the traffic stop was made, but
Rivas said, "I went back in there to see if anybody was there, and it was
hot in that truck."
The traffic stop comes two weeks after 19 illegal immigrants died after
being locked in a truck being driven towards Houston from the Lower Rio
Grande Valley. The 17 illegals, including three other children along with
the baby, were turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol officials in Pecos
following the traffic stop, while the driver was transported to Reeves County
Jail in Pecos on the traffic violation.
Border Patrol officials did not say if the driver would face federal charges
of transporting illegal aliens. They said the case remains under investigation
and a statement in connection with the case would be released later.
Reception to mark Zavala's closing after 50 years
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., May 27, 2003 -- A come-and-go reception on Wednesday will mark
the closing of a 50-year-old junior high school in Pecos, a victim of the
declining enrollment in Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD schools.
The farewell reception at Zavala Middle School is scheduled from 5-7
p.m., Wednesday, at the campus and everyone is invited to attend.
"We're welcoming all exes and the community, to come by and see the school
one last time," said Nancy Ontiveros. "This is for everyone, not just the
ones who had the opportunity to attend school at this facility."
Zavala began its life as East Pecos Junior High School in 1953, and Ontiveros
said that the school existed in different era, with segregation and boundary
lines in effect in Pecos campuses.
"In 1958, it was the first year that the African-Americans had the opportunity
to attend school there," said teacher Delma Molinar.
Molinar has been a teacher for 45 years, many spent at that campus.
"I started teaching in 1958 and started teaching at that campus and will
end my teaching career at that campus," said Molinar, who worked with sixth
graders, who have been housed at the campus for the past three years.
She has taught at other campuses in-between, including 19 years at Pecos
High School, but said that Zavala will always hold warm, fond memories for
her.
"There was always a lot of pride and loyalty in that school," said Molinar.
"There was a lot of respect for the teachers and a special bond formed."
"High school students were integrated in 1954 and until 1978, there were
(junior high) dividing lines and boundary lines," said Molinar.
Zavala housed both seventh and eighth grade students until 1987, when
the district divided its campuses by grades. Zavala remained home to the
district's seventh graders until three years ago, when seventh graders were
moved to Crockett Middle School and sixth graders were moved to Zavala from
Lamar Middle School. Next year, sixth grade students will attend Bessie
Haynes Elementary, along with fourth and fifth graders.
On Wednesday, the Zavala Student Council will be conducting tours of
the facility, showing all of the changes throughout the years.
A special program has been put together for all attendees, according to
Ontiveros.
"Annuals will be displayed to reflect and reminisce on the past and a
special wall has been designated so that all the exes can leave their messages
on it," she said, and refreshments will be served.
"Many of the parents will be on hand for the reception, according to
Ontiveros, who explained that this all came about because many of the exes
wanted to see the facility one last time and have a reunion of some kind
at their former school.
In 1952, East Pecos Junior High was constructed to house fifth through
eighth grades and zoning established. The League of United Latin-American
Citizens (LULAC) contested construction of this school, but zoning and construction
was upheld by the commissioner of education and by the State Board of Education.
East Pecos Junior High was renamed de Zavala Junior High in 1974, at the
same time North Pecos (Lamar) Elementary, South Pecos (Austin) Elementary,
Pecos (Crockett) Junior High and were renamed after Texas heroes.
UT prof, student killed in rollover near Balmorhea
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., May 27, 2003 -- A one-vehicle rollover Memorial Day on Interstate
10 between Fort Stockton and Balmorhea claimed the lives of a University
of Texas professor and a student, while three others were injured.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety report the accident
occurred at about 2:45 p.m. near mile maker 224 on Interstate 10,17 miles
east of Balmorhea,
The report stated that the van was one of a six-vehicle caravan of 20
to 25 geology students on a field trip to West Texas from Austin, Department
of Public Safety officials said. As the van was westbound just past the
Reeves-Pecos County line, it veered off the road. The driver then overcorrected
causing it to roll over, throwing two victims from the van.
The victims were identified as Robert Kent Goldhammer, 46, and Raquel
Vieira Desavariego, 26. They were pronounced dead by Precinct 3 Justice of
the Peace Rosendo Carrasco.
The report stated that neither passenger was wearing their seat belt.
The bodies were taken to Pecos Funeral Home.
The three passengers who suffered from injuries were identified as Kevin
Eugune Burns, 28, Timothy James Gibbon, 45 and Yusliza Mahdsufian, 22.They
were listed in stable condition with non-incapacitating injuries after being
transported to Reeves County Hospital in Pecos and Pecos County Memorial
Hospital in Fort Stockton.
All three passengers were later transported to Odessa Medical Center.
Burns was treated and released. He was the only one wearing his seat belt
at the time of the accident.
Gibbon and Mahdsufian were not wearing their safety belt.
Alpine Game Warden Ray Speared also assisted in providing medical treatment
to the passengers of the vehicle, the DPS office reported.
According to the DPS office the group of student and professors were on
a six-week geology study.
Trooper Gorden Scheider is the lead investigator with Trooper Terry Gilchrest
assisting.
Abatement plan for TransPecos on RCH agenda
PECOS, Tues., May 27, 2003 -- The Reeves County Hospital District Board
of Directors will hold its regular monthly meeting today, at 6 p.m., in
the RCH classroom to swear in its newly elected board members and discuss
and consider a tax abatement with Trans Pecos Foods.
The directors will also discuss and take action on the construction/renovation
revenue bonds, the nursing scholarship program and the amendment to hospital
bylaws - joint conference committee.
Route items as the monthly tax report, financial statements and budget
amendments, the payment of bills and its minutes from its previous meeting
will also be discussed and considered.
Weather
PECOS, Tues., May 27, 2003 -- High Memorial Day 89. Low this morning 65.
Forecast for tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows near 60. East winds 5 to 15 mph.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Highs near 90. East winds 5 to 15 mph. Wednesday
night: Partly cloudy. Lows near 60.
Obituaries
Howard Davis, Margaret Fernandes, Emily Gray Foster, Gerald Wayne Gough and Romana Nunez
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
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Copyright 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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