Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 125 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
DRONE QUESTIONS REMAIN
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Arias guilty of involuntary manslaughter JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Roswell City Councilor Elena Velasquez collapsed Friday night when she heard the jury verdict that Jose Arias was guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the shooting death of her granddaughter, Victoria Valesquez-Arias. “It proves people can get away with murder in this town,” she said. Originally, Arias was charged with first-degree murder following the May 20, 2011, incident that occurred in Victoria’s apartment on
West Fourth Street, which left the young woman dead and two children without a mother. First-degree murder is considered the deliberate killing of another and a capital offense in New Mexico. It used to carry a sentence of life imprisonment and the possibility of the death penalty, but now carries a sentence of 30 years to life. involuntary Meanwhile, manslaughter is defined as the act of killing someone unintentionally. It is a fourth-degree felony and carries a sentence of 18 months in prison.
Arias took the stand in his own defense. Dry-eyed, he described his relationship with his wife, Victoria. “It was good; it was bad. It was awful, but it was ours.” He talked about how he had obtained a gun the day before Victoria was killed after his car, parked outside his Bonney Street residence, had been shot up in a drive-by shooting. “This wasn’t a threat against my family. This is a threat against me.” He told officials during the 911 call and repeated for the court that the shooting was an accident; that he had dropped the gun and it dis-
WEB
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SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
Roswell High graduates 191 Soon to be Roswell High graduates walk onto the football field at the Wool Bowl for commencement ceremonies, Friday evening.
AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER As the sun broke through the clouds and dust one last time before resting below the horizon, words of a new beginning and starting the search for personal passion in the
PACERS DOWN HEAT MIAMI (AP) — David West’s right hand helped the Indiana Pacers grab homecourt advantage in the Eastern Conference finals. Roy Hibbert scored 29 points, West ...
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TODAY’S OBITUARIES • Martin Kent Jordan - PAGE A7
HIGH ...92˚ LOW ....63˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B4 ENTERTAINMENT...A10 FINANCIAL .............B5 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ......A10 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ............A10
INDEX
jour ney ahead rang out across the Wool Bowl while 191 Roswell High graduates listened attentively Friday night. “A wise man once said, ‘Your present circumstances don’t deter mine where you go, they merely
deter mine where you start,” said senior class vice-president Cade Guerrero. The focus was strongly on graduation not being the end, but a beginning. Speakers
charged.
Defense brought in Nelson Welch, formerly of the New Mexico State Police investigation division, as a forensic expert. He concurred with the State’s expert Seth Bradbury that the Taurus handgun was in perfect working order and constructed in such a way that it should not have discharged simply because it was dropped. However, he noted that if, when Arias attempted to catch it, he had managed to put his finger inside the trigger guard and exerted pressure
Oklahoma gets far more than its share of disasters
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama left plenty of ambiguity in new policy guidelines that he says will restrict how and when the U.S. can launch targeted drone strikes, leaving himself significant power over how and ... - PAGE A7
• Trial centers on calls • Rain doesn’t dampen UHS grads’ joy • County approves interim budget • City backs grant application • Perps nick security cameras
May 25, 2013
each
took
See ARIAS, Page A3
WASHINGTON (AP) — Many states get hit frequently with tornadoes and other natural catastrophes, but Oklahoma is Disaster Central. The twister that devastated Moore, Okla., was the 74th presidential disaster declared in the Sooner state in the past 60 years. Only much-larger and more-populous California and Texas have had more. The state is No. 1 in tornado disasters and No. 3 for flooding, according to a database of presidential disaster declarations handled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. And those figures don’t include drought, which is handled by a different agency. The explanation is partly atmospheric conditions that trigger twisters and flooding, partly where people live and how they build their homes, and partly politics and bureaucratic skill, according to disaster experts. Even one of the state’s U.S. senators said recently that because of the way federal guidelines are written, Oklahoma is getting disaster aid more often than it needs. Of the 25 U.S. counties that have been declared disasters the most times since 1953, nine are in Oklahoma, the highest total of any state. Oklahoma County has been on the disaster list 38 times, more than the entire state of New Jersey. Caddo County, just west of the Oklahoma City metro area, has been named a federal disaster area nine times since 2007, with a litany of woe that includes twisters, floods, ice storms, a blizzard and violent winds. “Things happen around here,” Tulsa, Okla.-based disaster consultant Ann Patton said. “Of course, sometimes it can make you stronger.”
Officials warn of La Villa celebrates Memorial Day fire danger; fierce weather expected JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Public lands of ficials across New Mexico urged the public Friday to beware of fire danger this weekend as forecasters predict continued stormy weather this weekend. Fire and weather forecasters are keeping an eye on areas of Chaves County affected by the lightning strikes expected from the storm that continued Friday evening, bringing with it some moisture that is predicted to get heavier today. As the county dries out by Sunday and Monday, any fires that develop might further be fueled by unseasonably high temperatures and wind gusts, according to the National Weather Service. “That could be potentially
quite hazardous,” said NWS meteorologist Brian Guyer in Albuquerque. “We’ll have to keep an eye on that for Sunday and Monday. If we can get some good rain, it will help certainly.” Chaves County should expect to see a tenth or two-tenths of an inch of rainfall throughout today. “It could get things moistened up a bit, but it could come in the form of lightning strikes that could possibly start some grass fires or small fires,” Guyer said. Temperatures are expected to be higher than normal, reaching into the upper 80s to low 90s. Sunday temperatures should warm up into the low- to mid-90s, which is five degrees above average, Guyer said. The NWS does
See SHARE, Page A3
See RHS, Page A2
Residents at La Villa Assisted Living Community celebrated Memorial Day early this year with a special ceremony on Friday. A group gathered to hear community volunteer Jim McDevitt read “In Flanders Field,” written by Canadian military doctor
and artillery commander Maj. John McCrae in May 1915 during World War I. A guitarist also sang other fitting military tunes. “I always feel we definitely need to honor our veterans,” said Dixie Wayne, activities director for La Villa. “It was a sweet ceremony.” A local Girl Scout group served as a color See LA VILLA, Page A2
Mark Wilson Photo
Kaitlyn Roe of the Girl Scout Troop 18044 Color Guard, helps to kick off a Memorial Day ceremony at La Villa Assisted Living, Friday morning.
Tough childhood molds ‘man who started World War II’ See WARN, Page A3
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Memorial Day is a day to commemorate those who died in the service of their country and a time to celebrate those who survived. All made their mark in history. Andy Deshotel is a vet who is known in Roswell as “the man who started World War II.” At 92 years old, he is more than just the war years. Courtesy Photo
LEFT: Andy Deshotel.
Bor n in Palmetto, La., in 1921, Deshotel lived through the Great Depression. He was one of seven children. His father was a self-taught Pentecostal minister who built his own church. He had the foresight to buy timberland in Louisiana and he cleared 20
acre lots, built a house upon each parcel of land, and rented the lots to 50 per cent sharecroppers. His father died when Deshotel was young. His mother, who was blind, died two years later. He dropped See SPOTLIGHT, Page A3