Monday’s Top Stories

Monday’s Five Facts

[1] Family of Farmington man killed by police responds to findings – The family of a man killed by Farmington Police earlier this month argued against a statement put out by the officers’ lawyer. Robert Dotson was killed by officers after they went to the wrong address. The lawyer for the officers involved put out a statement saying the family made “inflammatory statements” and said he believed the officers were justified in the shooting. In a statement put out Saturday, the family disputed those claims and said the officers had heard the door being unlocked. They also said that Dotson was not pointing his gun at officers and that the flashlights from the officers were blinding.

[2] Albuquerque mother indicted for death of her child – Victoria Perla Romero is facing multiple child abuse charges a year after her child died. She was arrested earlier this month for the death of her child. Documents state Romero’s case began after her almost two-year-old grandson showed up to daycare smelling like weed. Daycare workers called police prompting an investigation. According to the criminal complaint, the toddler tested positive for meth and THC. During this investigation an APD investigator learned about the death of Romero’s seven-month old last year. Court documents stated that in June 2022, Romero was sleeping in her apartment, when her seven-month-old fell between a bed and windowsill and died. The death was ruled accidental, but the medical examiner noted the infant tested positive for meth.

[3] Rain showers and breezy winds Monday – Today will stay fairly cloudy, and showers and storms will be possible across the state. However, very little rain will actually make it to the ground, due to the dry surface air. More isolated showers will be possible on Tuesday afternoon and evening in central and eastern NM. Winds will pick up speed on Tuesday, making for the gustiest day of the week, and wind gusts up to around 40 mph. Temperatures will stay mild, but a cold front will cool down the temperatures on Wednesday

[4] Española hit by Rio Santa Cruz River flooding; more snowmelt could be on the way – On April 20, the City of Española declared a state of emergency as Santa Cruz Lake started overflowing. It comes due to a strong monsoon season and snowmelt. They said the situation is difficult because the land the Rio Santa Cruz River runs through isn’t owned by the city. According to the city manager, by declaring the situation a disaster, the next step will be for the county to declare a disaster to help get assistance. Due to warm weather coming up this week, the city expects things to get worse.

[5] City of Albuquerque to announce new pickleball projects – The city of Albuquerque is set to announce a set of major pickleball projects. Officials say the parks and rec department has plans to expand and improve pickleball courts around the city. They say a number of projects are in various stages of development already.