Jury deadlocked in murder trial of Puente LOVINGTON — Fifth Judicial District Judge Gary Clingman declared a mistrial Thursday afternoon in the murder trial of Hobbsan Joshua Puente regarding the April 2016 shooting of Hobbsan Darrell Griffin. The mistrial came after more than eight hours of deliberation that started Wednesday and ended Thursday after jurors couldn’t reach a verdict. Starting …

Lovington Police: Break-in suspect faces more charges A Lovington man arrested after a break-in at a South First Street restaurant now faces more burglary charges related to two other September 2017 incidents, according to Lovington police. On Sept. 18, Lovington police officers responded to an early morning alarm call at the Lazy 6, located in the 100 block of S. …

HPD: Man assaulted off-duty police officer  A Hobbs man was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly brandished a gun at an off-duty police officer during a road rage incident. Nathan Garcia, 29, was charged with aggravated assault (deadly weapon), a fourth-degree felony. He was booked at the Hobbs City Jail. Around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, an off-duty Hobbs police officer contacted dispatch …

Lawsuit filed in priest sex abuse case The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces is facing a lawsuit by the alleged sexual abuse victim of former St. Helena Parish priest Ricardo Bauza, which asserts the diocese facilitated sexual battery and assisted Bauza in evading authorities. A 10-page lawsuit against the diocese and church, as well as Bauza himself, was filed …

Man accused of ramming Jal police car, fleeing police The Jal Police Department apprehended a suspect in a Friday police pursuit through the city after he allegedly fled a traffic stop, “intentionally” rammed into a police car and abandoned his vehicle to run on foot. Around 8:41 p.m. Friday, Jal police pulled over a Dodge pickup truck after seeing it …

Lovington Magistrate outstanding warrants The Lovington Magistrate has released the following list of outstanding warrants. Any defendant who needs more information is encouraged to contact the Court at 575-396-6677 or the New Mexico Warrant Hotline, 575.524.5860 or 505.896.9494. Defendants also may email the warrant team at MagCollections@nmcourts.gov. Defendants also may stop by the Magistrate Court in Lovington at 100 W. …

3rd suspect arrested in Torres murder Hobbs resident Eduardo Servin is behind bars after Hobbs police issued warrants for three suspects last week in the November shooting death of Daniel Torres. Servin, 27, was arrested Friday and charged with accessory to commit murder, a first-degree felony. He turned himself into the Lea County Sheriff’s Office in Lovington, according to Lea …

Hobbsan charged in November shooting death The Hobbs Police Department arrested a Hobbs man Wednesday on accessory and conspiracy charges related to the November death of Daniel Torres at his North Selman home. Two others are charged in the case as of Thursday. William “Billy” Martinez, 28, was charged with accessory to commit murder, a first-degree felony; conspiracy to commit …

New Mexico man in front-end loader chase shot by deputies PORTALES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico authorities say a man who used a front-end loader to try to flip an SUV and led deputies on a chase is hospitalized after being shot by sheriff’s deputies. State police said in a statement that the confrontation happened in the small city of …

New Mexico man in front-end loader chase shot by deputies PORTALES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico authorities say a man who used a front-end loader to try to flip an SUV and led deputies on a chase is hospitalized after being shot by sheriff’s deputies. State police said in a statement that the confrontation happened in the small city of …