Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide for Reeves County, Trans-Pecos, Big Bend of West Texas

Top Stories

March 9, 1998

High winds may have caused fire

The fire came at the end of a day of high winds, which were
clocked at up to 59 miles-per-hour Saturday, according to
Isabel Blanchard of the Pecos Municipal Airport.

An old army surplus store, located on Highway 17 just north
of Interstate 20, caught fire at about 10:25 p.m., Saturday.
The building is owned by the Bill Hollis family.

"The fire then got into the shop next door to this building,
a shop run by Rocky Blackstock," said assistant fire chief
Mike Elliott.

Police closed off Highway 17 to traffic between I-20 and
Stafford Boulevard after firefighters arrived at the scene
at 10:38 p.m.

"By the time we arrived the surplus army store was already
engulfed in flames," said Elliott. An adjacent utility pole
was also set on fire, and a Texas-New Mexico Power Co crew
was called to the scene a short time after firemen arrived.

The army supply store was totally burned and the building
next door had a large amount of damage, according to the
report.

Winds blowing out of the northwest blew smoke and lighted
cinders over an adjacent service station which has been
closed for several years, and the smoke also went across the
traffic lanes of I-20.

"Our biggest problem was fighting the winds," said Elliott.

It took firefighters about three hours to contain the fire.
"We finished at about 1:30 a.m.," Elliott side.

The fire is still under investigation and fire marshal Jack
Brookshire will be looking into the cause of the fire.

All six fire trucks were at the scene and ambulance crews on
standby even though no injuries were reported.

"It was lucky that nobody was in the buildings at the time
of the fire," said Elliott. "The wind was our biggest
problem, but we worked hard and fast," he said.

No other damage was reported from the high winds, which blew
through the area before and after a cold front moved across
West Texas. The front dropped temperatures from near 70
Saturday morning to the low 50s by the afternoon, and to
near freezing by Saturday night.

County to face overcrowding citation

The jail was cited for over-crowding by state officials at
the conclusion of their investigation last Thursday, Gomez
said. "But this is a problem all over Texas," he added.

"They said they were pleased with the rest of it," he said.
"We fixed the plumbing and the roof looks good."

Texas Department of Jail Standards inspector Paul
Scarborough recommended a 48-bed expansion for the facility.
Gomez said he shared the recommendation with County Judge
Jimmy Galindo, and commented that an expansion of this size
could be effected without an increase in staff.

Saturday crash leaves man dead

Rodolfo Marquez Lazo, 44, was pronounced dead at 4 a.m. on
Saturday after apparently falling asleep at the wheel while
driving north on U.S. 285 near the Texas 302 junction, 18.1
miles north of Pecos, according to Department of Public
Safety officials.

The DPS report said Lazo drove his 1989 model Nissan pickup
across the southbound lane of the highway, at about 1 a.m.
on Saturday and into a guard rail, where it was lodged. The
guardrail reportedly cut through both the engine area and
the cab of the pickup and into the bed before the vehicle
came to a halt.

Lazo was pronounced dead on the scene by Justice of the
Peace Joel Madrid and taken to Pecos Funeral Home. He was
not wearing a seatbelt, according to DPS Trooper Richard
Jacobs and Corporal Emmit Moore, who investigated the
accident.

The accident was the third of the year in Reeves County, all
of which have occurred on U.S. 285 north of Pecos.

Departure of deputy, suspect delay arrest

Personnel changes at the Reeves County Sheriff's Department
were cited as part of the reason for the 5½ month delay, as
both the suspect and the investigating officer were no
longer living in the county shortly after the alleged
beating occurred.

Ramos was arrested on Feb. 26 as the result of an incident
on July 9, 1997 in which deputies said she beat her
11-year-old son with a belt and her closed fist severely
enough for the child's uncle and grandfather to take him to
the hospital.

According to a sheriff's department report, injuries to the
boy included bruises on his back, left shoulder, right chest
area, face and left forearm; scratches to his left eye area
and the left side of his face, a bloody nose, cut lip,
swelling on his left forearm and whelp marks on his left
side and back that the report said appeared to have been
made by a belt type object.

Ramos also apparently grabbed the boy's right hand and
twisted it behind his back, trying to gain control of the
child during the incident, the report said. She also
scratched his left face area.

According to the report, the boy's uncle arrived at the
house during the incident and grabbed the young boy in an
attempt to remove him from the situation, at which time
Ramos picked up some type of stick and hit the uncle with it.

The boy's uncle took the stick away from Ramos, broke it and
threw it out the door. He then ran to the field where the
boy's father and grandfather were working. The boy's uncle
and grandfather took the boy to the hospital.

During an interview by law enforcement officers with the
boy, he was asked how often this type of incident took
place. He told officers that this had occurred almost daily
and that it had been going on since he was eight or nine
years old.

When the boy was asked if his father ever intervened, he
said that his father did try to intervene sometimes, but
that his mother sometimes would push his father against the
wall or push him down.

The boy was also asked if his father hit him in the same way
as his mother did. The child said that his father spanked
him on his bottom, but didn't hit him like his mother did.

Investigators also asked the boy if he was afraid to go
home. The boy said that he was afraid to return, and wanted
to stay with his grandfather.

The investigators also determined that there was also a
four-year-old child in the home. The boy said that the
younger child was also being hit at times, although not as
hard.

Further, the investigators found that Ramos had lost one
daughter at birth and was again pregnant, by about four
months.

However, after interviewing the 11-year-old, the officers
could not contact Ramos. The boys was released him into the
custody of his grandfather, pending further investigation by
the appropriate agencies.

During that investigation, both Ramos and the deputy
investigating the incident moved away. Sheriff Arnulfo Gomez
said the deputy married and moved to Dallas, while Ramos did
not tell the authorities where she moved to. They eventually
found her living in Kermit, Gomez said.

Ramos was arrested for the crime on Feb. 26, but posted
$10,000 bond and was released from jail the same day.

Early voting surpasses 2,300

In addition, county officials said over 350 others have
voted by mail for the state and local races.

Early voting by personal appearance has ended in Reeves
County, but votes by mail will be received until 7 p.m. on
March 10. "They don't have to be sent by regular post," said
early voting clerk Debbie Thomas. Federal Express and United
Parcel Shipping are okay, she said.

Polling places will be Box 1, located at the Pecos
Community Center, 505 South Oak; Box 2 will be at the Pecos
Elementary School, 901 S. Willow; Box 3, Pecos High School
Gym, 1300 Iowa Street; Box 4, Toyah City Hall in Toyah; Box
5, Senior Citizen Hall in Balmorhea; Box 6, Saragosa
Multi-Purpose Center in Saragosa; Box 7, Reeves County
Library, 505 S. Park; Box 8, Lamar Elementary School, Room
#1, corner of Oak and "F" streets; Box 9, Orla Red Bluff
Office in Orla; Box 10, Reeves County Annex/N. Side, 700
Daggett Street; Box 11, Bessie Haynes Elementary School, 800
E. 11th Street and Box 12, Texas-New Mexico Power Co., 1126
Stafford Blvd.

Those voting in precinct 1 will vote at Boxes 2 & 11;
precinct 2, will vote at Boxes 3, 4, and 12; precinct 3,
will cast their ballots at Boxes, 5, 6 and 10 and precinct
4, at Boxes 1, 7, 8 and 9.

All local candidates are running in the Democratic primary,
but those people wishing to vote in the Republican primary
can do so on Tuesday by going to the mayor's office at City
Hall at Sixth and Cedar streets between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
The main area race there is for the District 80 seat
currently held by Gary Walker.

The two-term Republican is being challenged by rancher
Skeet Workman for the nomination, while no Democrat is
running for the District 80 seat, which covers the area from
Reeves County north along the Texas-New Mexico border to
Levelland.

Shoving match results in two injuries

Ambulance attendants were called to the school just after
noon, and according to PHS principal Danny Rodriguez, "there
were two boys fighting and they went into the display case."

Rodriguez later clarified his statement, saying that the two
boys apparently were just shoving each other, not having a
fist fight or using weapons, and accidentally fell into the
glass trophy case in the hallway by the main entrance to the
school building. He added the whole incident happened very
quickly.

Rodriguez said that both boys were taken to the hospital,
one with a cut to his hand and one with a cut on his
shoulder that might require surgery.

"It's unfortunate that things like this happen. Our staff
moved as quickly as possible to do what they could for the
kids. Our main concern is our students," said Rodriguez
later Friday afternoon, after rushing to check on the boys
at the hospital as soon as emergency personnel left the
scene.

Area Roundup

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Obituaries

Annie Collins

Services were held at 2 p.m., today at the First United
Methodist Church in Balmorhea with Reverend Ernest Vineyard
officiating. Burial was in Balmorhea Cemetery.

She was born Feb. 12, 1912, in Coke County, was a lifelong
Balmorhea resident, a homemaker and a Methodist.

Survivors include two sons, Richard Hueslter of Oklahoma
City, Okla., Craig Hueslter of Verhalen; one daughter,
Barbara Harrison of Abilene; three sisters, Jessie Harman of
Robert Lee, Prudence DuBas of Houston, Madelle Griffith of
Lubbock; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Isabel Lara

Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mariano Morales

A rosary will be held at 7:30 p.m., today, at Pecos Funeral Home Chapel.

Mass is scheduled for 2 p.m., Tuesday at Santa Rosa
Catholic Church with Father Antonio Mena officiating. Burial
will be in Mount Evergreen Cemetery.

He was born Oct. 16, 1914, in Ruidoso, Tx., was a lifelong
Pecos resident, a retired fence builder and a Catholic.

Survivors include his wife, Ephina Morales of Pecos; one
son, Ruben Morales of Pecos; one daughter, Maria Elena
Saldana of Pecos and five grandchildren.

Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Jose Rodriguez

A rosary is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, at Martinez
Funeral Home Chapel.

Mass will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, at Santa Rosa
Catholic Church with Father Antonio Mena officiating.
Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery.

Rodriguez was born Feb. 5, 1955, in Ojinaga, Mexico, was a
longtime Pecos resident and a Catholic.

He was preceded in death by one son, Jose Antonio
Rodriguez, Jr.

Survivors include one daughter, Mary Louisa Rodriguez of
Pecos; three brothers, Alberto, Daniel and David Rodriguez
of Hobbs, N.M.; four sisters, Alicia Hernandez, Olivia
Rodriguez and Maria Nunez of Hobbs, N.M., Elva Rodriguez of
Pecos; paternal grandmother, Antonia Rivas of Ojinaga,
Mexico and two grandchildren.

Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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