Front Page News

By Roger Lanse

On Saturday, Apr. 6, 2024, at about 3:20 p.m., a Silver City Police Department officer responded to the Hillside Apartments, 2545 N. Silver Street, to an aggravated burglary call. While en route, the Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority advised the officer that the tenant stated that four male juveniles were attempting to break into her apartment.

According to an SCPD incident report, when the officer made contact with the 61-year-old female caller, she stated that the juveniles were there to fight with her grandson and one of them, wearing a purple hoodie, broke a window to her apartment and attempted to enter. When she rushed into the room to see what was going on, the four juveniles ran away, she said.

UPDATE

The male was later identified as Shelby Anderson, 45, of Deming. He was arrested and booked into the Grant County Detention Center on Saturday, Apr. 6, 2024. GCDC staff told the Beat, Anderson remains in custody as of Apr. 10, on a no-bond hold.

By Roger Lanse

Silver City Police Department officers responded to the Ridge Road Chevron on Friday, Apr. 5, 2024, at about 6:05 p.m., to a stolen motor vehicle call. The victim, the 37-year-old father, told the responding officer that his silver 2012 Chevy Cruze, with his 2-year-old daughter in the back seat, had just been stolen by a white, bald-headed male.

Update: According to a trusted source, Cssandra Pavon was located. No other information is available.

By Roger Lanse

On Tuesday, Apr. 2, 2024, at about 12:14 p.m., Silver City Police Department officers responded to the Lintero Apartments, 2711 Leslie Road, in reference to a kidnapping complaint. The caller stated a male pointed a gun at a female and both left the Lintero apartment parking lot in a silver Chrysler 300. The caller identified the two as David Castillo and Cassandra Pavon.

According to an SCPD incident report, one witness stated she heard yelling and screaming in the parking lot and when she walked out she saw Castillo, 30, of Santa Clara, holding Pavon, 34, of Silver City, in a headlock with his left arm and holding a black pistol in his right hand. Castillo pointed the pistol at the witness from 6-8 feet away and told her to "mind your own business."

By Frost McGahey, Investigative Journalist

An Ethics Complaint was filed with the Ethics Division, Bureau of Elections against Nicholas Prince for violating town ordinances and committing fraud in the November 2021 election. It is based on the claim that Prince did not live in his district at the time.

The complaint states Prince signed up to be on the ballot for Town Council in District 2. (He ran against a write-in candidate, Lonnie Shoup, and won 266 to 90.) Prince violated Silver City's Code of Ordinances: Part 1, Article I. - Town Council, Section 3[6], on two counts.

[Editor's Note: This is the ninth of a series of articles on the Grant County Commission work session on March 12, 2024. It continues the review of the March 14, 2024 regular meeting agenda and begins with new business items at the regular meeting.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

Grant County Manager Charlene Webb continued the March 12, 2024 work session review of the March 14, 2024 regular meeting agenda by noting new business items would come next.

The first item of new business reviewed was consideration of the 2023 Volunteer Firefighters annual reporting for PERA (public employees retirement association). The VFDs include Fort Bayard-Santa Rita, Lower Mimbres, Pinos Altos, Sapillo Creek, Tyrone, Upper Mimbres and Whiskey Creek. Webb noted that The Cliff'-Gila VFD was working on its report.

By Roger Lanse

Sunday morning, Mar. 31, 2024, at about 1:51a.m., a Silver City Police Department officer observed a grey Chrysler van on the 32nd Street Bypass travelling 78 mph in the 35 mph zone. According to an SCPD incident report, reaching Highway 180 the van turned east, and after a delay, pulled to the side of the road near the intersection of Shasta Street. Because of the speed of the vehicle and the vehicle's delay in stopping, the officer commanded the driver to step out of the vehicle. The driver refused.

[Editor's Note: This is the eighth of a series of articles on the Grant County Commission work session on March 12, 2024. It continues the review of the March 14, 2024 regular meeting agenda and covers county reports at the regular meeting.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

Grant County Manager Charlene Webb continued the March 12, 2024 work session review of the March 14, 2024 regular meeting agenda by noting elected officials' reports would come next.

At the March 14, 2024 regular meeting of the Grant County Commission, the first came from Treasurer Patrick Cohn.

By Roger Lanse

According to Whiskey Creek Fire Department Chief Daniel Salaiz, the New Mexico State Fire Marshal's office has determined the cause of the structure fire early Tuesday morning Mar. 26, 2024, at 64 Racetrack Road in Arenas Valley, was electrical in nature.

The single-wide mobile home was about 75 percent engulfed when the WCFD arrived at the inferno shortly after midnight, after being paged out a few minutes before. the Chief Salaiz said, and was a total loss.