A Jal man allegedly fleeing the scene of a vehicle fire Thursday in Hobbs, stole a car with a passenger inside and was charged with kidnapping. According to a Hobbs Police Department criminal complaint, Octavio C. Gutierrez, 33, reportedly fled the scene Dec. 13 when a vehicle he recently bought was engulfed in flames at the intersection of Mobile Street …

LOVINGTON — Considering a rapidly increasing population to serve and protect, plus competition with nearby law enforcement agencies for officers, the Lea County Sheriff’s Office has five new deputy positions and increased pay for current deputies. The Lea County Commission on Thursday unanimously approved the changes that will increase the sheriff’s department budget about 23 percent from $8,455,000 to $10,440,000. …

A group of motorcyclists surrounded a driver’s vehicle Thursday and pulled a gun on the driver while the group was on their way to a funeral, according to a Hobbs Police report. A driver got out of his car when bikers blocked the intersection at Turner and Sanger Streets and bikers immediately surrounded him, according to a Hobbs Police Department …

The following warrants are active at Hobbs Magistrate Court. The list of names starting with Marshall follows a previous list published Nov. 10, which incorrectly identified the warrants as being issued from Lea County District Court. Contact the magistrate court at 575-397-3621 or go by the court at 2110 N. Alto St., Hobbs, to see what steps need to be …

Hobbs Magistrate Court recently released its list of warrants to the public. The first part of this list was published in the News-Sun on Saturday. The list includes the case number, name and year of birth. For more information contact the Hobbs Magistrate Court at 397-3621. M-25-VM-2016-00055 Abigael Noe 1987 M-26-MR-2018-00230 Acevedo Col-ten James 1992 M-25-VM-2015-00042 Aceves Omar 1981 M-43-DR-2017-00147 …

The trial has been set for a violent rape case from 2003 that went cold and was re-opened in 2015 after a DNA match. Ramon Moreno was 41 years old when he allegedly sexually assaulted a 20-year-old, who was found curled up on the ground in front of a convenience store, according to a Lovington Police Department report. Moreno was …

Hobbs has 3rd shooting this week A man and a 13-year-old were shot in a Hobbs neighborhood around 11:30 p.m. Halloween night, in the third shooting in the city this week. The 20-year-old man and the boy, both of Hobbs, sustained gunshot wounds in the 300 block of East Albertson Drive. Hobbs Police Chief Chris McCall said neither victim sustained …

LOVINGTON — Hobbsan Sammy Piñon Jr. was convicted of second-degree murder with a firearm Friday on the two-anniversary of victim Thomas May’s death. Thomas May was shot five times in the 1100 block of Princess Jeanne Drive on Oct. 26, 2016. May would have been 34 years old this year. The trial took place in the Fifth Judicial District Courtroom …

A Monument man was charged with stealing from an oil and gas company in Hobbs as well as a gas company based out of Artesia. Tracey Westby, 30, was arrested Sunday and charged with larceny over $20,000, a second-degree felony, and receiving stolen property over $20,000, a second-degree felony, according to a Lea County Sheriff Department report. On Aug. 8, …

Woman accused of embezzling from employer An employee at a storage unit company in Hobbs allegedly embezzled more than $4,400 from the company. Shannon M. Cates, 43, of Hobbs, allegedly stole $4 to $700 from 21 different bank deposits she made for her employer over a period of four months. According to a Hobbs police arrest report, Cates reported an …