Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 130 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
CHANGING FAMILIES As Christy Everson was nearing age 40, she made a decision: She wanted to have a child, even though she was single and it meant doing it all alone. Her daughter, conceived via a sperm ... - PAGE A7
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
May 31, 2013
Notes to Obama, mayor had gun threats
WASHINGTON (AP) — A suspicious letter mailed to the White House was similar to two threatening, poison-laced letters on the gun law debate sent to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the nation’s most potent guncontrol advocates, officials said Thursday. The Secret Service said the letter was addressed to President Barack Obama and was intercepted by a White House mail screening facility. Two similar letters postmarked in Louisiana and sent to Bloomberg in New York and his gun control group in Washington contained traces of the deadly poison ricin. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the letter sent to Obama contained ricin. It was turned over to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force for testing and inves-
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tigation. The two Bloomberg letters, opened Friday in New York and Sunday in Washington, contained an oily pinkish-orange substance. New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Thursday that all three letters apparently came from the same machine or computer and may be identical but referred specific questions to the FBI. The FBI said in a statement that field tests on the letters were consistent with the presence of a biological agent, and the letters were turned over to an accredited laboratory for the kind of thorough analysis that is needed to verify a tentative finding. “More See THREATS, Page A3
Accident on Country Club
AP Photo
In this April 25 file photo, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, right, is joined by New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, left, during a news conference in New York.
Utah man arrested for kidnapping
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INSIDE SPORTS Jessica Palmer Photo
East Country Club Road, from Main Street to Grand Avenue, was closed for about 40 minutes on Thursday morning. A gas tanker stopped in a parking lot before pulling onto Country Club when the driver of a green Dodge Durango attempted to pass on the right. The New Mexico State Police were called in to check for any leakage in the tanker. After the tank passed inspection, the vehicles were released and the road open to traffic. No one was injured during the accident.
HEAT TAKE GAME 5 MIAMI (AP) — There will be no win-or-else Game 6 in the Eastern Conference finals for the Miami Heat this season. LeBron James saw ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• William “Red” Grassie • Chalk Noling • Jerry Joseph Lindy • Alberto Moreno • Larry Quiroz • Juan Salinas Jr. - PAGE A9
HIGH .100˚ LOW ....64˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
T h e R os well P olice Dep ar t m en t arrested a Utah man, Wednesday, on charges of kidnapping. Ahmad Jones, 33, was staying at the Belmont Hotel, 2100 West Second Street, having come to Roswell to visit a former girlfriend. The 25-year -old victim told officials that she had recently moved to town. She went to the hotel to see Jones. The visit went well at first, but then reportedly Jones became enraged. When the victim tried to leave the hotel room, Jones slammed the door shut and blocked her exit. He allegedly pulled a knife and pointed it at her. Later he put the knife away, grabbed her and threw her on the bed. He then reportedly began to beat her. She managed to escape and contacted the police department. Jones was arrested and charged with kidnapping, assault on a household member with intent to commit a violent felony and battery. Jones was taken to the Chaves County Detention Center where he remains on a $50,000 surety bond.
RPD seeks info Ex-campaign staffer on fatal shooting indicted in email scandal Detectives from the Roswell Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance about the shooting of Juan Gonzales, age 26. The incident occurred at approximately 9:45 p.m. on Sunday, May 19th. Officers from the RPD responded to Pecan Place in reference to shots fired. When they arrived, the officers found Gonzales dead as a result of gunshot wounds. The investigation is ongoing and detectives would like to hear from anyone with information about Gonzales and the shooting. Anyone that has information regarding the homicide is asked to contact the RPD Criminal Investigation Division at (575-6246770), or Crime Stoppers (1-888-594-8477).
SANTA FE (AP) — A former campaign manager for New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez was indicted Thursday on federal charges of hacking the campaign’s email system and obtaining correspondence by the governor, her staff and supporters. U.S. Attorney Kenneth Gonzales announced the indictments in Albuquerque against Jamie Estrada of Los
Lunas, who briefly served as campaign manager in 2009 but was fired by Martinez as she was starting her bid for governor. Estrada said in a statement that he broke no laws and disputed Martinez’s assertions that he was fired. “Individuals in whom the public has placed its trust have come after me in an attempt to divert attention from their own improper
actions,” Estrada said, pointing to allegations by the governor’s critics of possible influence peddling in a state decision on a lease for a horse racing track and casino in Albuquerque.
Jay McCleskey, the governor’s political adviser, said Estrada was fired “for numerous reasons, includ-
Syria’s Assad ‘confident in victory’ in civil war BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview broadcast Thursday that he is “confident in victory” in his country’s civil war, and he warned that Damascus would retaliate for any future Israeli airstrike on his territory.
Assad also told the Lebanese TV station Al-Manar that Russia has
fulfilled some of its weapons contracts recently, but he was vague on whether this included advanced S300 air defense systems. The comments were in line with a forceful and confident message the regime has been sending in recent days, even as the international community attempts to launch a peace
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INDEX
AP Photo
This image made from video shows Syrian President Bashar Assad during an interview broadcast on Al-Manar Television on Thursday,
conference in Geneva, possibly next month. The strong tone coincided with recent military victories in battles with armed rebels trying to topple him. The interview was broadcast as Syria’s main political opposition group appeared to fall into growing disarray. The international community had hoped the two sides would start talks on a political transition. However, the opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, said earlier Thursday that it would not attend a conference, linking the decision to a regime offensive on the western Syrian town of Qusair and claiming that hundreds of wounded people were trapped there. Assad, who appeared animated and gestured frequently in the TV interview, said he has been confident from the start of the conflict more than two years ago that he would be able to defeat his opponents. “Regarding my confidence about victory, had we not had this confidence, we wouldn’t have been able to fight in this battle for two years, facing an international attack,” he
See SCANDAL, Page A3
said. Assad portrayed the battle to unseat him as a “world war against Syria and the resistance” — a reference to the Lebanese Hezbollah, a close ally. “We are confident and sure about victory, and I confirm that Syria will stay as it was,” he said, “but even more than before, in supporting resistance fighters in all the Arab world.” Assad has said he would stay in power at least until elections scheduled in 2014, but he went further in the interview, saying he “will not hesitate to run again” if the Syrian people want him to do so. Taking a tough line, he also warned that Syria would strike back hard against any future Israeli airstrike. Earlier this month, Israel had struck near Damascus, targeting suspected shipments of advanced weapons purportedly intended for Hezbollah. Syria did not respond at the time. Assad said he has informed other countries that Syria would respond next time. “If we are going to retaliSee SYRIA, Page A3