Public Safety - Organ Mountain News

Las Cruces police vehicle blocks a street with crime scene tape stretched across the roadway during an investigation

Authorities warn of spike in overdoses in Las Cruces, Doña Ana County

HIDTA alert cites seven overdoses since Sunday, two fatal, with carfentanil possibly involved Organ Mountain News report LAS CRUCES - Drug intelligence officers are warning the public after an unusual spike in overdoses in Las Cruces and Doña Ana County, including two deaths since Sunday. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking

The Doña Ana Magistrate Court building in Las Cruces is pictured at dusk, with the Organ Mountains visible in the background.

Public Safety

Judge releases woman accused in Vado crash that killed two children under strict monitoring

A Doña Ana County judge released Christina Escobedo Arriaga on personal recognizance with GPS and continuous alcohol monitoring after an Aug. 10 crash in the 8100 block of State Road 478 in Vado that killed two passengers, ages 15 and 12, according to court records.

Close-up of a person holding a smartphone displaying the Instagram login page in a web browser

Public Safety

Attorneys general call on Meta to place privacy limits on new Instagram location feature

A bipartisan coalition of 37 attorneys general, led by New Mexico’s Raúl Torrez, is urging Meta to strengthen safety measures on Instagram’s “Map” feature — calling for restrictions on minors, better warnings and easy opt-out access

Close-up of the front of a fire engine, showing headlights, turn signals and red emergency lights.

Public Safety

Fire damages home on Rio Arriza Loop in Las Cruces

Las Cruces firefighters contained a Wednesday afternoon blaze that damaged a home on Rio Arriza Loop. No injuries were reported.

Two Las Cruces police officers on motorcycles conduct a traffic enforcement operation, with one officer using binoculars to monitor vehicles along El Paseo Road

Public Safety

Las Cruces police issue 37 citations during El Paseo Road traffic operation

Las Cruces police issued 37 citations in one hour along El Paseo Road on Aug. 14, including speeding, registration, insurance and cell phone violations. More operations are planned.

Sign outside the U.S. Courthouse at 100 North Church Street in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with the building’s stone exterior in the background.

Crime

Doña Ana man sentenced to eight years for fentanyl trafficking, illegal firearm possession

Jaime Lopez, 35, was sentenced to 96 months in prison after agents found fentanyl and a stolen gun during an attempted arrest in Las Cruces.

A New Mexico State Police SUV parked on a rural highway with mountains in the background.

Crime

Driver charged in Vado crash that killed two children, injured teen

A Mesilla Park woman faces multiple charges, including two counts of homicide by vehicle, after a crash in Vado killed two children and injured another, according to state police.

Seal of the U.S. Department of Justice, featuring a bald eagle holding an olive branch and arrows, with the Latin motto “Qui Pro Domina Justitia Sequitur” on a blue background.

Crime

Las Cruces man sentenced to more than 10 years in fentanyl trafficking case

Orangie Lee Fisher, 37, was sentenced to 123 months in prison after a fentanyl trafficking investigation in Las Cruces led to the seizure of drugs, cash and a stolen gun.

Crime

Mescalero man pleads guilty to federal assault charge

Myron Edward Blake Jr., 40, of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury and faces up to five years in prison.