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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Shrine Circus crew, Chamber happy with performance
By BRENDEN BRIGGS
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., Sept. 16, 2003 -- The George Carden El Maida Shrine Circus
entertained the citizens of the city of Pecos last night at the Buck Jackson
Rodeo Arena.
The circus put on an exciting display, with the typical acts of elephants,
tigers, and high wire walkers, plus some added unusual performances. Included
in these were a crossbow sharp-shooting display and an acrobatic rope-jumping
act.
Working closely with the Chamber of Commerce, organizers formulated a
show that would fit well with the fairground facilities. Acts were added
or adjusted to operate in the outdoor environment.
"This is a dynamic show, acts are incorporated into the show depending
on their ability to function in the area provided," show lighting and artistic
director, Trevor Boswell. "We had to bring in an outside tiger act due to
the fact that the typical one we use is an indoor only act," he added.
All parties involved were pleased with the turnout, as circus goers filled
the south side stands to near capacity.
"It is nice to be able to use the rodeo grounds for other functions,
especially because we were able to keep entertainment here in the city of
Pecos," Chamber of Commerce director Linda Gholson said.
"The people organizing the circus itself were great to work with, and
it is nice to know that the proceeds will be benefiting such a good cause
as the Shriners," she added.
The performers adapted well to their environment, and put on an excellent
show.
"The grounds were very clean and the town itself was a very nice place
to be putting on our show," Boswell added
The circus will be in Fort Stockton tonight for the next stop in their
tour.
Pecos, Odessa woman facing drug charges
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., Sept. 16, 2003 -- Two women were indicted by a federal grand
jury in Pecos, for trying to smuggle illegal drugs into the United States
from Mexico.
Deborah Sotelo Pando, 20, of Pecos and Cruz Elsa Lujan, 25, of Odessa,
were both indicted in U.S. District Court in Pecos. They were charged with
aiding and abetting one another, knowingly did import into the United States
from Mexico less than 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of marijuana, a controlled
substance.
A complaint was filed after their arrest on Sept. 2 and the two were
charged in a federal court with two counts. The first count was for importation
of marijuana and the second for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Both counts carry a maximum of five years and a maximum of a $250,000 fine,
if convicted. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Rob Junell.
According to the indictment, the two were taken into custody at the Ojinaga,
customs port of entry on U.S. 67, attempting to cross the border in Presidio
at 3:45 p.m. Lujan was driving the red 1989 Nissan Sentra and Pando was
the passenger in the vehicle.
The two were driving back from Ojinaga and stopped at the bridge. They
were deferred for a second inspection, at a secondary area and both of the
defendants had negative declaration.
According to the criminal complaint, one of the agents took a high-density
reading and a call was put in to a canine officer. The drug-sniffing dog
alerted to the vehicle and the rear quarter panels were inspected. Located
inside the panels, officers found 64 taped, and foil-wrapped bundles.
In all there were 66.6 pounds of marijuana inside the vehicle, according
to Daryl Fields, Public Affairs Officer with the U.S. Department of Justice,
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas.
Drugs, suspected stolen items found in raid
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., Sept. 16, 2003 -- Several stolen items guarded by a pit bull
dog, along with illegal drugs, were found at a home after officers with
the Pecos Police Department and the Trans Pecos Drug Task Force executed
a search warrant.
Police said a search warrant was executed at 723 S. Sycamore St., the
home of Eric and Jeannie Estorga, at about 10:15 a.m., Monday.
"During the search, officers found a substance believed to be heroin
in one of the bedrooms," said Pecos Police Investigator Paul Deishler.
Deishler said that also during the search officers had to subdue a pit
bull dog located in the back yard of the residence. "He was tied next to
a washing machine in the back yard," said Deishler. "We looked inside the
washing machine and located four car stereos."
Deishler said that it appeared that the dog was guarding the washing
machine and that the car stereos possibly were stolen.
Officers also located a girls red 10-speed bicycle, which police also
believe to have been stolen.
"The name brand and other things on it were scraped off and we believe
it is a stolen item as well," said Deishler.
Deishler said that officers believe the car stereos were stolen last week,
when four cars were burglarized at the Pecos Housing Authority's East Side
Apartments.
"The break-ins of the cars could be linked to these stereos that we confiscated
yesterday," said Deishler.
Individuals who have had a stereo stolen recently are asked to go to the
Criminal Justice Center and identify their stereos.
"One of these could be their stereos," said Deishler. "We think they
could have come from those car burglaries that occurred last week," he said.
Charges are pending on both the drugs and the alleged stolen items, and
warrants will be issued.
"We're doing follow-ups on everything, but warrants will be served,"
said Deishler.
Convicted murder guilty of threat against judge
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., Sept. 16, 2003 -- A Hobbs, N.M. man serving time in prison
for a 1997 murder in Andrews County was convicted in U.S. District Court
on Monday of threatening the life of the former federal judge for the Pecos
area.
The trial at the Lucius Bunton Federal Courthouse on Monday involved
Marcell Deon Dean, who was already incarcerated in the Clements Unit, in
Amarillo after being convicted of murder five years ago. Dean, already
serving a life sentence was tried in federal court yesterday and found guilty
in connection with the threat, which involved a latter sent to U.S. District
Judge Royal Furgeson earlier this year.
Dean was convicted in September 1998 of the murder of Joe Anthony Campos,
18, whose body was found by a ranch hand in eastern Andrews County pasture
on Sept. 15, 1997, with a gunshot wound to the head.
Authorities theorized the murder happened after a drug deal had gone
bad near the Texas-New Mexico state line and that Dean shot Campos. A second
man, Jerry Shatae Wrighter of Hobbs, N.M., also was convicted in connection
with Campos' murder.
"After all his appeals had been exhausted, Mr. Dean, filed a Writ of
Habeas Corpus in Federal Court," said U.S. Assistant Attorney from Midland
John Klassen.
A Writ of Habeas Corpus is a very general document filed after the individual
has already been sentenced and appeals have been denied. This is the last
chance for the individual to go before the court, and is based on the claim
a defendant is being unlawfully deprived of his or her liberty.
It is not an appropriate proceeding for appeal-like review of discretionary
decisions of a lower court. "They might cite some irregularities in their
trial," said Klassen.
Dean's case was assigned to Ferguson in May of 2002. "It was issued and
denied by Judge Ferguson," said Klassen.
Klassen said that in May of this year Dean was upset about the decision
and wrote a letter to Judge Ferguson threatening his life.
"Yesterday he was tried in the Pecos Federal Courthouse," said Klassen.
He said that the FBI had interviewed Dean in his cell and that he did
not deny writing the letter.
Sentencing for the offense is pending, but could be up to 10 years.
Since Dean is currently serving a life sentence for the murder charge,
if he is ever paroled he will owe the federal government some time in connection
with Monday's conviction, according to Klassen.
Furgeson left his position as Pecos Division federal judge in April of
this year to take another position in the Western District of Texas, serving
the San Antonio area. Robert Junell has replaced Furgeson as district judge
for the Pecos and Midland federal courts.
Blood drives set for next Sunday
PECOS, Tues., Sept. 16, 2003 -- United Blood Services of the Permian Basin
have scheduled two blood drives over the next three weeks in Pecos, to help
with a shortage in blood supplies for the 41 county area of West Texas and
Southeastern New Mexico.
The first is scheduled for next Sunday, Sept. 21, at Santa Rosa Catholic
Church. United Blood Service's mobile unit is scheduled to be at the chuch
that day to accept donations.
The second, a community blood drive, has been set for Thursday, Oct.
2 from 12 noon to 7 p.m. in the lobby of Reeves County Hospital.
Weather
PECOS, Tues., Sept. 16, 2003 -- High Monday 94. Low this morning 63. Forecast
for tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 60s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 90s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Wednesday
night: Clear. Lows in the mid 60s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Thursday:
Increasing cloudiness. Highs in the mid 90s. East winds mear 10 mph. Thursday
night: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Lows near 60. Friday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 80s.
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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