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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Top Stories

Thursday, November 5, 1998

Hearing date set for RCDC escapees


By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
Four Reeves County Detention Center guards accompanied four
escapees to federal court this morning, transferring custody
to the U.S. Marshal Service after they were advised of the
charges against them.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Stuart Platt ordered the four held
without bail for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 19.

Charged with escape are Jose Jaramillo-Hernandez, 22, a
Hispanic male from Aposcinail, Michoacan, Mex.; Mariano
Flores-Benavides, 24, a Hispanic male from Edinburg; Milton
Alarcon, 39, of New Orleans, La.; and Luis
Castillo-Rodriguez, 31, a black male from the Dominican
Republic.

They allegedly escaped from the RCDC between 1 and 3 a.m.
Sunday by crawling under or through four fences.

Alarcon, who told Judge Platt he was born in Colombia, South
America, had bandages on both hands, which were cut during
the escape. He is serving a 45-month federal prison sentence
for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Castillo's sentence is 57 months for conspiracy to import
marijuana; Jaramillo is serving 28 months for possession
with intent to distribute marijuana; and Flores is serving a
21-month sentence for re-entry after deportation.

Milton and Rodriguez were arrested in June, Jaramillo in
August, and Flores in September.

Following their escape from the RCDC, the four walked for
two days before being captured on the Weinacht ranch south
of Balmorhea Tuesday morning. They were hungry and tired,
but otherwise in good condition, RCDC officials said.

Judge Platt also held two Pennsylvania residents without
bail on charges of interstate transportation of a stolen
vehicle.

James Paul McCann, 21, and Heather Michelle McGuire, 18,
were arrested in Culberson County Sept. 21 after a
high-speed chase of their stolen van that began in Reeves
County.

DPS Trooper Charles M. Hicks said the chase began after the
Reeves County Sheriff's department was notified by a local
merchant that a vehicle had left without paying for gasoline.

Catching up to the van, a deputy asked the occupants to get
out, but instead they took off and the pursuit was renewed.

Checking the license plate number, the deputy learned the
vehicle was stolen and alerted DPS officers.

When the vehicle entered Culberson County, DPS joined the
pursuit, which covered 130 miles over a 50-minute period.
Troopers used the stinger spike system in an effort to stop
the van, but the driver, McCann, evaded the spikes by
switching to the eastbound lane of I-10. The occupants
blatantly tried to drive head-on into other vehicles on the
Interstate, hicks said.

The vehicle was reported from Cape Hatteras, N.C., and both
occupants had warrants for their arrest, he said.

Info sought on vandalism to vehicles


Pecos Valley Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for
information into damage, estimated at over $7,000, that was
done to vehicles parked at the Pecos High School Field House
sometime late last Friday night or early Saturday morning.

The damage was done to five vehicles parked at the field
house. They were among a group of cars belonging to Pecos
Eagle football players and coaches, who were returning from
their Oct. 30 game in Canutillo when the criminal mischief
occurred.

Police said they were called to the scene when the team
arrived back in town, at approximately 3:40 a.m., and found
several vehicles windows broken out of them.

According to police, the damage included:

-- A passenger window broken out of a green 1969 Chevrolet
pickup;

-- A windshield, both door windows and the rear window
broken out of a tan 1976 Chevrolet pickup;

-- A rear window broken out of a blue and white 1989
Chevrolet pickup;

-- A windshield, driver's window, and the drivers vent
window broken out of a white 1987 Ford extended cab pickup.

-- A windshield and both door windows broken out of a tan
1981 GMC pickup.

The total damage from the broken windows on the vehicles
involved was put at $7,150.

Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 in rewards for
information leading to the arrest and Grand Jury Indictment
of person(s) responsible for the criminal mischief acts at
the field house. Anyone with information on this crime or
any other crime can call crime stoppers at 445-9898. Callers
will remain anonymous.

`Christmas' project seeks volunteers


By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
Once again an organization aimed at keeping children warm
and in school will be taking applications to help make
Christmas merrier for those boys and girls.

The group calls themselves `Christmas for the Kids' and its
title speaks for itself.

"Our main goal is to provide as much as we can to community
children who would otherwise not be receiving anything at
Christmas time," said Sofia Baeza, program coordinator.
"After all, Christmas is a time for children."

Christmas for the Kids provides the essentials that children
need and should have in our community, according to Baeza.

"Our goal is again to raise $5,000," said Baeza.

Applications for the program are being accepted now until
Dec. 5 at the Reeves County Sheriff's Department.

In 1997, the group helped 147 families, which included 426
children, but due to problems with the area's economy during
the last 12 months, Baeza said she is expecting more
applicants this year.

"We expect to have more on our list, but our goal is to
provide a happy holiday for as many as we can," she said.

This is the third year the program and Baeza credits the
community in helping make the program a successful one.

A door-to-door drive is tentatively planned for Saturday,
Nov. 21, though Baeza said that date is subject to change.

"I say tentatively because the (Pecos High School) athletic
department are the volunteers that go door-to-door taking
donations and this year since they have been doing so good
in the sports department they might not be able to help
out," said Baeza. The Pecos Eagles' football team could be
playing in the Lubbock area that weekend, in the area round
of the state football playoffs.

"We'll just have to work around their schedule," she said.

Other fundraisers are planned by Christmas for Kids within
the next several weeks.

For more information about the program contact Baeza or
other members of the group at the sheriff's department,
445-4901.

Pecos teen freed from jail after drug arrest


A Pecos youth has been released from the Presidio County
jail after he posted bond on a charge of possession of over
230 pound of marijuana.

Jaime Navarrette, a 17-year-old student from Pecos, was
arrested on a charge of marijuana possession after being
stopped by Border Patrol on Dean Street in Marfa on Tuesday.

Border Patrol agents, assisted by Presidio County Chief
Deputy Sheriff Rusty Taylor, held Navarrette after a drug
sniffing dog alerted to the back seat of Navarrette's car.

"I don't know what he was stopped for initially by the
Border Patrol. Their initial cause for detention is
different from ours," said Taylor.

Navarrette was charged with possession of marijuana over 50
pounds and under 2,000, a second degree felony.

A little over 232 pounds of marijuana was discovered in
burlap sacks in the vehicle.

He posted a $70,000 bond today and was released, according
to Taylor.

"Due to the amount of narcotics an investigation is
ongoing," the chief deputy added.

Sanderson's newspaper ends 90-year run


By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
The Sanderson Times is dead. Long live the Sanderson Times.

With the publication today of Vol. 92, Number 52 of "The
only legal newspaper in the world that is boosting Terrell
County - and has been since 1908," Albert Gilbreath takes
off his publisher's hat and takes up his pencil and
reporter's notebook.

Gilbreath will continue doing what he's done for half a
century - reporting the news in Sanderson. But rather than
set the type on a linotype machine with hot lead
occasionally spewing onto his hands, Gilbreath will type
stories on his computer and send them electronically by
e-mail or fax to the Fort Stockton Pioneer.

Beginning Nov. 12, the Pioneer will publish a special
Sanderson section, complete with legal advertising. Current
subscribers will still receive their newspaper, with the
added bonus of Fort Stockton news.

"I have had to change and adjust," Gilbreath said of the
change from the linotype and flatbed press era to computers.
"It is kind of like riding a jet airplane, compared to a
donkey."

Starting his newspaper career in 1938 under Times publisher
"Shorty" Sudduth, Gilbreath left the next year due to his
father's illness, then served in the U.S. Army until 1946.
He worked for a Vernon newspaper until he learned in 1947
the Times was for sale. And he's been in Sanderson ever
since.

"How can we adequately express gratitude for an association
of 52 years?" Gilbreath wrote in his farewell column.

"How is it possible to properly and adequately express our
appreciation for the support that has been given the Times
family in all of our undertakings?"

Surviving ups and downs through the years, Gilbreath "fought
for things we upheld, according to our determination of what
was right, and opposed those we thought were wrong," he said.

Gilbreath said one of the most heart-pleasing news items he
ever published is the news that the TNRCC turned down the
nuclear waste dump at Sierra Blanca. The worst was the 1965
flood that devastated Sanderson.

Not only did he have to report on the flood, but as a
coroner got first-hand knowledge of the tragedy that caused
so much sadness to so many people.

"The other story that is the saddest to print is of the
necessity of stopping this publication and some kind of
change in a vocation in which we felt was based on a
calling, and one which we enjoyed beyond the understanding
of any of our readers," he said.

The difficulty of getting news pages to Pecos for printing
and the finished product back to Sanderson for distribution
forced the newspaper's closure, Gilbreath said.

"All our associations have been very good," Gilbreath said
as he bid goodbye to the Enterprise staff and left the press
room Wednesday afternoon with his last load of newspapers.

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
instances we will indicate payment and release.

***
Robert Franco, 22, was arrested at 1:40 p.m., on October 26,
at Reeves County Sheriff's Office, on a warrant for motion
to revoke/driving while intoxicated. He was transported to
Reeves County Jail.
***
Victor Baltazar, 28, was arrested at 2 p.m., on October 26,
at 2243 Limpia Road, on a warrant for driving while license
suspended. He was transported to Reeves County Jail.
***
Francisco Gonzalez, 17, was arrested at 4:35 p.m., on
October 27, at the 800 block of East Tenth Street, on a
warrant for forgery by passing. He was transported to Reeves
County Jail.
***
Angel Ramirez, 20, was arrested at 8:08 p.m., on October 27,
in the 800 block of South Cherry Street, for assault by
threat under the Family Violence Act. He was transported to
Reeves County Jail.
***
George Natividad, 18, was arrested at 9:06 a.m., on October
28, on a warrant for forgery. He was transported to Reeves
County Jail.
***
Jose Chavez, 27, was arrested at 7:42 p.m., on October 28,
in the 800 block of East Fourth Street, on a warrant for
injury to an elderly individual. He was transported to
Reeves County Jail.
***
Albert Nieto, 37, was arrested at 10:43 a.m., on October 29,
at Pecos Municipal Court, on a warrant for possession of
marijuana (under 2 ounces). He was transported to Reeves
County Jail.
***
Rosalinda Munoz, 50, was arrested at 7:48 p.m., on October
29, in the 1200 block of South Ash Street, for public
intoxication. She was transported to Reeves County Jail.
***
Hilda Calderon was arrested at 1:07 p.m., on October 30, at
Pecos Municipal Court, on warrants for a violation of a
promise to appear and speeding. She paid the fines and was
released.
***
Ricardo Gonzales, 18, was arrested at 1:09 p.m., on October
30, at Pecos High School, for public intoxication. He was
transported to Reeves County Jail.
***
Efrain Adame, 18, Francisco Alvarez, 17, and Raul Hidalgo,
19, were arrested at 10:53 p.m., on October 30, at the
Security State Bank parking lot, on minor in possession
charges. They were transported to Reeves County Jail.
***
Ismael Flores, 24, was arrested at 2:45 a.m., on October 31,
in the 1700 block of West Second Street, for public
intoxication. He was transported to Reeves County Jail.
***
Ismael Flores, 24, was arrested at 11:24 p.m., on October
31, in the 200 block of South Cherry Street, for assault
under the Family Violence Act/resisting arrest. He was
transported to Reeves County Jail.
***
Jerry Crisp, 32, was arrested at 7:33 p.m., on October 31,
in the 500 block of Willow Street, on DPS warrants. He was
transported to Reeves County Jail.

WEATHER


High Wednesday 50; low last night 44. Rainfall .01 inch.
November rainfall .22 inch. Year-to-date 5.79 inches.
Tonight, mostly cloudy. Low around 40. Southeast wind 10 15
mph. Friday, mostly cloudy and windy with a 20 percent
chance of Showers. High in the upper 50s. South wind 15-25
mph and gusty.



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Pecos Enterprise
Ned Cantwell, 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 1998 by Pecos Enterprise