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SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) May 29, 1997- A Presidio County grand jury will be asked to investigate the shooting death of a teen-ager who was shot to death by a U.S. Marine assisting the U.S. Border Patrol on a drug-interdiction operation.
District Attorney Albert Valadez said Wednesday at Alpine that he will take the case of the death of Esequiel Hernandez Jr. to the grand jury.
Hernandez, an 18-year-old Presidio High School sophomore, was shot to death near his Redford home last Tuesday by a Marine who was part of a border drug patrol.
``I take all homicides before a grand jury,'' the prosecutor said. ``If it's not a natural death, it goes to the grand jury.''
Taking the case to the grand jury doesn't necessarily mean that Valadez thinks it is a murder, he said.
``I don't know what it is yet. But it's always been my policy to take an unnatural death before a grand jury,'' he told the San Angelo Standard-Times.
Spokeswoman Maureen Bossch of Joint Task Force Six, a Department of Defense agency based at Fort Bliss in El Paso that cooperates with local, state and federal law-enforcement agencies conducting drug-interdiction operations, said the district attorney's action are routine.
``This is not unexpected,'' Maureen Bossch said. ``This is standard procedure in a case of this kind. This is not news to us.
``We are cooperating fully with all the agencies investigating this incident.''
The grand jury could hear the case in about a month after Valadez receives all forensics reports from the Bexar County medical examiner's office in San Antonio.
Hernandez's body was taken there for an autopsy, and weapons involved in the incident were sent there for examination, he said.
Hernandez fired two shots at four Marines and had raised his .22-caliber rifle to fire a third shot at one of them when a Marine shot Hernandez with an M-16 rifle, Marine Col. Thomas Kelly, deputy commander of JTF-6, said at a news conference in Marfa last week.
However, members of Hernandez's family disputed that. The family lived a short distance from where he was shot, and they said he was looking for better grazing spots for the family's goat herd.
``I'm not reaching a conclusion like the Marine colonel did at the news conference,'' Valadez said. ``Without results, it's just a guess. Their conclusions have been reached before all the evidence is in.
``All the evidence is not in yet.''
Valadez is doing the proper thing in taking the case to a grand jury, a spokesman for the Marfa Border Patrol Sector said.
``I don't think he has any other choice,'' Assistant Chief Patrol Agent David Castaneda said. ``We want all the facts to come out as they are, because we are interested in this case as well as the district attorney.
``The case has to be presented to the grand jury so they can turn around and review the facts presented and either true-bill or no-bill.''
PECOS, May 29, 1997 - A Mineral Wells man has been taken back to that city from Pecos, after crashing his van following a high-speed chase on Interstate 10 from near Van Horn to the Reeves County line.
Department of Public Safety Trooper Richard Jacobs said Cash Christian Daniell of Mineral Wells fled eastbound on I-10 after being stopped initially at the 138 mile marker. Jacobs said Daniell drove off after a hitchhiker, the only other passenger in the 1988 Chevrolet van, got out of the vehicle.
The van belonged to Daniell's mother, and had been reported stolen by her from Mineral Wells, along with several other items. "He stole a bunch of property, and was pawning it off as he went along," Jacobs said.
Daniell headed east on I-10 at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, driving in the center median twice to avoid rolling blockades set up by truck drivers on the interstate's two lanes.
The chase ended at the 186 mile marker, just before the I-10, I-20 junction, where law enforcement officers had set up a roadblock. "We used the (tire) spikes at the 186, and after he hit that he hit a light pole," Jacobs said. The van continued from there through the dry bed of Cherry Creek and into a fence, but never rolled over, he added.
Daniell was transported by ambulance to Reeves County Hospital, where he was treated and released, before being taking to Reeves County Jail, where he was held on charges of burglary and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle out of Mineral Wells. A Reeves County Sheriff's Department spokesperson said Daniell was taken back to Mineral Wells by Palo Pinto County law enforcement officials Wednesday afternoon.
The two ladies have enjoyed their visit together in Pecos, and repeatedly expressed their wish to thank the people of Pecos. "Yuka has had a very good experience, and has been very happy," her mother said.
Democratic county chairman Robert Camp Dean has agreed to repay the costs for investigation of records tampering charges filed against him and to contribute to election expenses of four taxing entities in exchange for a clean record.
Dean was indicted by the Reeves County grand jury on two counts of allegedly changing information on a primary election application in 1996. Dean notarized an application submitted by Mickey Vasquez for Precinct 1 commissioner, but failed to notice Vasquez had not signed the petition.
By the time incumbent Lupe Garcia and County Judge Jimmy Galindo noticed the petition was not signed, it was too late for Vasquez to re-file and enter the race.
Following a failed motion to quash the indictment, the trial was moved to Monahans on a change of venue motion by Dean's attorney, Scott Johnson.
District Attorney Randy Reynolds and Johnson worked out a pre-trial diversion agreement wherein Dean would be placed on probation for 12 months, totally avoid the use of alcoholic beverages and illegal drugs, pay $360 to the D.A.'s office for the investigation, and pay $1,200 to be distributed equally to Reeves County, Reeves County Hospital District, the Town of Pecos City and the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD for election expenses.
During the 12 months, Dean is not to act as a notary public and will forfeit all payments he receives for services as county Democratic chairman or for any elections held in that period, to be distributed in the same manner.
If he successfully completes probation, the adult probation office will recommend to Reynolds that charges against Dean be dismissed and that his records would be expunged.
Democratic county chairman Robert Camp Dean has agreed to repay the costs for investigation of records tampering charges filed against him and to contribute to election expenses of four taxing entities in exchange for a clean record.
Dean was indicted by the Reeves County grand jury on two counts of allegedly changing information on a primary election application in 1996. Dean notarized an application submitted by Mickey Vasquez for Precinct 1 commissioner, but failed to notice Vasquez had not signed the petition.
By the time incumbent Lupe Garcia and County Judge Jimmy Galindo noticed the petition was not signed, it was too late for Vasquez to re-file and enter the race.
Following a failed motion to quash the indictment, the trial was moved to Monahans on a change of venue motion by Dean's attorney, Scott Johnson.
District Attorney Randy Reynolds and Johnson worked out a pre-trial diversion agreement wherein Dean would be placed on probation for 12 months, totally avoid the use of alcoholic beverages and illegal drugs, pay $360 to the D.A.'s office for the investigation, and pay $1,200 to be distributed equally to Reeves County, Reeves County Hospital District, the Town of Pecos City and the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD for election expenses.
During the 12 months, Dean is not to act as a notary public and will forfeit all payments he receives for services as county Democratic chairman or for any elections held in that period, to be distributed in the same manner.
If he successfully completes probation, the adult probation office will recommend to Reynolds that charges against Dean be dismissed and that his records would be expunged.
Donations for residents of Jarrell, Tx. are currently being accepted at two locations in Pecos, including KIUN Radio Station, 316 S. Cedar and Fourth and Bois D'Arc Church of Christ.
"Individuals who would like to donate to this worthy cause can drop off their items here at the station or at the church," said KIUN secretary Paula Cole.
The effort is being initiated by the radio station and B&B Wrecker Service, Weldon Brookshire.
"We'll be collecting the items and he will come and pick them up and deliver them to Jarrell," said Cole.
Items needed include toiletries, canned or non-perishable food items, baby items, such as baby food, pampers and such, bottled water and soft drinks.
"Weldon will be leaving with the items on Friday around noon-time, so anybody wishing to donate items have until then to do so," said Cole.
The station has already received numerous donations as has the church, but more are needed since everything is gone in that little town, according to Cole.
"We've already received some monetary donations also, which I think will help tremendously," she said.
Residents in the Balmorhea/Saragosa area can take their donations to Tommy Martinez' home in Balmorhea if they don't want to drive all the way into Pecos to drop off items.
"He's doing this to thank everyone for the help they received ten years ago when the tornado struck Saragosa," said Cole. "He's trying to help all he can," she said.
"No clothes are needed at this time, however," said Cole.
For more information contact the radio station at 445-2497 or go to the church on Fourth and Bois D'Arc or to KIUN radio station.
"Flags were not set out on Monday, because nobody had a chance to do it," said Shirley Hannah.
Hannah's husband is a member of the local VFW Post and stated that flags will be set out tomorrow, which is the traditional day.
"Memorial Day was observed on Monday, but it's really on the 30th, which is tomorrow," she said.
PECOS, May 29, 1997 - Juan "Johnny" Fuentes, 43, died Wednesday, May 28 at Westwood Memorial Hospital in Midland.
A rosary will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 30 at Pecos Funeral Home Chapel.
Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m., Saturday, May 31 at Santa Rosa Catholic Church with Father Ed Carpenter officiating. Burial will be in Mount Evergreen Cemetery.
He was born Dec. 15, 1953, was an oilfield driller, a lifetime Pecos resident and a Catholic.
Survivors include his wife, Angie Fuentes of Pecos; four sons, Johnny Fuentes, Jr., Eddie and Jerry Fuentes all of Pearsall, Patrick Alex Fuentes of Pecos; two daughters, Crystal Fuentes of Houston, Cynthia Scott of Plano; nine brothers, Gabriel Orona, Jr. of Pecos, Jesus Orona of Pecos, Herminio and Raymond Orona of Carson, Calif., Domingo Orona of Torrence, Calif., Enrique, Roy and Tray Orona of Long Beach, Calif., Danny Orona of California; six sisters, Ramona F. Gonzales and Belen Natividad of Pecos, Noe F. Lara of Austin, Esperanza Hernandez of Carson, Calif., Dora Barrera of Long Beach, Calif., Yolanda Cisneros of Torrence, Calif. and two grandchildren.Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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