Crime Blog | Your filter to El Paso area police blotters and court dockets

Holiday safety tips

Officials with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office are offering the following tips to make sure area residents stay safe this holiday season.

When shopping:

•Dress comfortable and casual for freedom of motion

•Do not overload yourself with packages

•Park in a well lit area and close proximity

•Lock your car

•Do not leave valuable items in plain view

•Have your keys available or in hand

•Be aware of your surroundings before you exit your vehicle

•Check inside your vehicle before getting in

•Be aware of “con artists” trying to distract you with intention of taking your belongings

•Avoid wearing expensive jewelry

•Avoid carrying large amounts of cash

•Be aware of shoulder surfing when paying with debit/credit card

•Leave birth certificates, social security cards and other documents with personal identifying information at home in a secure place

When at home:

•Keep your home well lighted

•Be aware of dark areas/blind spots, landscaping, where an attacker can hide

•Do not place valuables in plain view from your home (Christmas tree with gifts)

•Do not place spare keys outside the home by the door

•Do not leave messages that you are away from home

While on a computer:

•Stay up to date with anti-virus software to detect or deflect malicious software

•Do not open unsolicited mail (spam)

•Be aware of phishing/smishing schemes to get personal identifying information by email or text

•Do not forget about orders you have placed

•Be aware of chain letters (by mail, email, text) that guarantee big money with a small investment

When giving to charity:

•Be aware of emails, callers claiming to be charitable organizations

•Verify information before you contribute to any organization

•Give to charities you know

•Be suspicious of those organizations who accept only cash

•Check out companies through Federal Trade Commission, Attorney General and Better Business Bureau

Five deputies become sheriff's first drug experts

El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles has announced that five deputies have become certified Drug Recognition Experts, and will assist other deputies in detecting drug and alcohol use among criminal suspects

On May 16, four Special Traffic Investigators and one Metro Narcotics detective began a 152 hour course in hopes to become the first group of Drug Recognition Experts, or DREs, in the history of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.

The Drug Recognition Expert Course is divided into Drug Recognition Expert Pre-School (16 hours), Drug Recognition Expert DRE School (56 hours), and Drug Recognition Expert Field Certification (about 40 to 60 hours). The training relies heavily on the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs), which provide the foundation for the Drug Evaluation Classification Program.  

Once trained and certified, DREs become skilled in the detection and identification of persons impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. DREs are trained to conduct a systematic and standardized 12-step evaluation consisting of physical, mental and medical components.

The training was provided through grant funds from the Texas Department of Transportation and administrated by Sam Houston State University, and was at no cost to the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff's officials said prior to this training being offered, there were no Drug Recognition Experts in El Paso County.

About 400 Texas Peace Officers are Drug Recognition Experts, and there are 6,500 DREs at the national level.  

School bus safety week in Texas

This week is National School Bus Safety Week, and Texas state troopers will be out in force to make sure school children make it to and from school safely. Texas Highway Patrol troopers in many rural areas of the state will be riding on or following school buses to catch motorists who illegally pass stopped school buses. It's against the law to pass a stopped school bus that has its red lights activited. Citations can cost up to $1,000. Troopers will also be patrolling areas where school buses pick up and drop off children. "The safety of children riding on school buses is important, and we will do everything we can ensure that Texas drivers obey the law," said Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Last year, there were 762 crashes involving school buses in Texas. In those crashes, one person died and 89 people suffered serious injuries. During 2010, troopers wrote 414 tickets to motorists caught passing a stopped school bus.

"America's Most Wanted" returns to TV

NEW YORK (AP) — Just weeks after Fox dropped "America's Most Wanted" after more than two decades, its creator-host, John Walsh, has a new home for the show on the Lifetime network.

The deal, announced jointly last week by Walsh and Lifetime, will return to the air Walsh's weekly criminal roundup, which since 1988 has helped bring almost 1,200 fugitives to justice.

The series will return for its 25th season later this year.

"'America's Most Wanted' is a seminal program that provides a very valuable service to both viewers and law enforcement agencies," said Lifetime president Nancy Dubuc. "For more than two decades John Walsh has been leading the fight against crime and it's an honor to partner with him on bringing back this important show."

"We've often been called the court of last resort," Walsh said. "Now we are back in the game and ready to saddle up for another season to get justice for victims and put dangerous criminals behind bars."

In May, Fox announced it was axing "AMW," citing high production costs. At the time the network said it would present four quarterly specials in the coming season. The first of those specials will air in October, and Fox will follow it with the remaining three, Walsh said.

But Fox's final weekly "AMW" was telecast in June.

"We kept the hotline and website up, and we've caught four guys," Walsh said. "The viewers didn't give up on us."

Since then, Walsh had been in talks to find a new network. The deal with Lifetime was completed earlier this month, he said.

It was in 1981 that Walsh launched his crime-busting crusade in the aftermath of the abduction and murder of his 6-year-old son Adam. He became an outspoken advocate for tougher laws against sex offenders, more cooperation among law enforcement agencies, and citizen involvement in flushing out fugitives.

He was a former hotel executive with no TV experience, but his TV show premiered in April 1988 on the fledgling Fox network and, little more than a year later, it was the first-ever Fox program to rank first in viewership in its time slot. It remained a fixture on the network after that, and during the 2010-11 season, was seen by an audience averaging 5 million viewers.

U.S. Marshals searching for fugitive from El Paso

Crime Stoppers of El Paso is assisting the U.S. Marshals Service in seeking the location of a fugitive who is wanted for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Mario Alberto Reza, 52, is also known as Mario Valdedran or Balandran. He's described as Hispanic, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 165 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. 

If you have a tip about the location of Mario Reza, or about any crime in our area, call Crime Stoppers of El Paso immediately at 566-8477 or submit tips online at www.crimestoppersofelpaso.org.  You may also text CRIME1 (no space) plus the tip information to CRIMES (274637).  You will remain anonymous and, if your tip leads to an arrest, you could earn a cash reward.

'America's Most Wanted' canceled after 24 seasons

FROM UPI LOS ANGELES -- The Fox television network announced it has canceled its crime-themed reality show "America's Most Wanted" after 24 seasons.

The series sought help from the public in catching people on the run from law-enforcement agencies. It celebrated the capture of its 1,000th criminal in 2008.

Although it consistently wins its time period and averaged 5 million viewers this season, EW.com quoted Fox as saying it is not longer profitable.

"[Host] John Walsh has been an important guy at the network for a long time," Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly told reporters Monday. "It's been an important show for us historically. We haven't made money on the show in quite awhile. It wasn't particularly viable. We wanted to keep the franchise alive. John is having conversations about ways to keep the series alive."

The network plans to air four 2-hour "America's Most Wanted" specials next season, EW.com said.

Walsh became a victim-rights advocate after the abduction and murder of his son, Adam, in 1981.

K-9 teams join sheriff's office

Two K-9 deputies have joined the El Paso County Sheriff's office to help deputies in various crime-fighting capacities.

Xilli, a two-and-a-half-year old female German Shepherd, and Deputy Carlos Azarate attended the U.S. Border Patrol Canine Search and Rescue (SAR) Training School from Jan. 3 to March 25. The school consisted of 10 weeks of intense search and rescue training in addition of two weeks for advance training

The K9 is trained to track humans, including passive, injured or dangerous subjects, and in on- and off-leash area search in both large and small open areas.

Otto, a Belgium Malinois, and Deputy Rafael Gallardo attended the U.S. Border Patrol Canine Training Course from March 7 to April 15. 

All rookie canine handlers attend an intensive six-week course in detection canine handling where they are paired with their new canine partners. After completion of basic handler training, all canine teams receive a minimum of sixteen hours of maintenance training monthly.

Deputies said canine handlers literally take their work home with them, since their canine partners live with them. They describe the bond that develops between handler and canine as "unsurpassed," with most handlers becoming so attached to their four-legged partners that they remain in the canine program until the dog is retired, even if that means the handler foregoes a promotion.

Las Cruces Crime Stoppers: Reward offered for info on armed robbery suspects

From the Las Cruces Police Department:

Las Cruces Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrests of two suspects who committed an armed robbery Sunday evening.
 
Shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday, April 24, Las Cruces Police were called to the Teakwood Inn and Suites at 2600 S. Valley Dr. after the two suspects – a man and woman – used a Taser to commit an armed robbery.
 
The victim, a clerk at the hotel, told officers that the couple first went into the lobby and attempted to sell her a Taser. About an hour later the couple returned to the hotel and used the Taser to threaten the woman. The couple then took an undisclosed amount of cash from the register.
 
The female suspect was described as being 5-feet-7-inches tall and weighing approximately 190 pounds. The male accomplice was said to be 5-feet-8-inches tall and weighing around 220 pounds. Both suspects were said to be wearing dark-colored hoodies.
 
If you have any information on the identity of the suspects you are asked to call Las Cruces Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or send a tip via text message to LCTIPS (528477).

Ariz. sheriff seeks votes on 'Mugshot of the Day'

From the Associated Press:

PHOENIX—The Arizona sheriff known for dressing inmates in pink underwear and feeding them green baloney is inviting people to choose the most popular jail booking photos posted on his website.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio allows online users to browse through the photos and then vote on their favorites that will be highlighted on a "Mugshot of the Day" section.

The top picks so far aren't unexpected: They're the most disheveled, unusual looking people among those booked into the downtown Phoenix jail.

Arpaio says he hopes the increased Web traffic will highlight the work of his employees.

He also says more crimes may be uncovered if the public can view the photos.

The website is http://www.mcso.org

Crime Stoppers of El Paso now on Facebook, Twitter

Officials with Crime Stoppers of El Paso have launched profiles on two popular social networking sites.

Crime Stoppers can now be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Visitors to those sites can find updated information on the Crime Stoppers Crime of the Week, wanted fugitives, crime videos and also find out how to report crime tips.

Tipsters may remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward if a tip leads to an arrest.