A 24-year-old man from Chaparral, New Mexico, was killed Sunday night, Sept. 17, in West El Paso when he veered off Interstate 10 and hit a cement pillar, El Paso Police said.

Ruben Garfio was driving eastbound on I-10 near the Thorn exit (mile marker 11) just before midnight “at a high rate of speed” when the crash happened, police said. Garfio was the only occupant. He died at the scene, police said.

Garfio becomes the 54th person killed on an El Paso roadway this year compared to 51 at this time last year.

Federal prosecutors have arrested former Doña Ana County Deputy Sheriff Michael Andrew Martinez. They have accused him of kidnapping and sexually assaulting an unnamed victim.

A Taiwanese company that supplies automotive gears for clients including Tesla has committed to building a $99 million facility in Santa Teresa. The plant will sit on a 30-acre campus in the Westpark industrial park and employ 350 people.

The El Paso Police is investigating an incident involving a suspect impersonating a law enforcement officer Thursday, Sept. 21 at La Union Drafthouse on Sunland Park, according to the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD).

EPISD says initial reports indicate that a suspect individual was impersonating a law enforcement officer and flashing lights.

The El Paso Police Department is realigning resources to stop teen violence and underage drinking in El Paso.

EPPD says the plan will be implemented this week, but the plan is not finalized.

Second trial against Moises Galvan underway

The El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens, in collaboration with the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition and Texas Parks and Wildlife, will host the Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta on Sept. 23 and 24, according to a press release sent by the City of El Paso.

The city says the two-day event will bring together professionals from all aspects of conservation from across the region to discuss innovative efforts and share information on restoring and preserving the desert.

The El Paso Police is investigating an incident involving a suspect impersonating a law enforcement officer Thursday, Sept. 21 at La Union Drafthouse on Sunland Park, according to the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD).

One person was transported to a local hospital after a shooting happened in Central El Paso late Thursday night, Sept. 21.

Police say they responded just before midnight to the 2300 block of N Copia.

Police say the call came in at around 11:51 p.m. The extent of the person’s injuries is currently unknown.

A Taiwanese company that supplies automotive gears for clients including Tesla has committed to building a $99 million facility in Santa Teresa. The plant will sit on a 30-acre campus in the Westpark industrial park and employ 350 people.

The State of New Mexico targeted Hota Industrial Manufacturing Co. through its Taiwan office and awarded the company $3 million from its Local Economic Development Act jobs fund to assist with land and infrastructure costs.

The city of Eagle Pass, Texas, issued an emergency declaration as thousands of migrants crossed the Rio Grande from Piedras Negras, Mexico, on Wednesday.

“The City of Eagle Pass is committed to the safety and well-being of our local citizens. The emergency declaration grants us the ability to request financial resources to provide the additional services caused by the influx of undocumented immigrants,” Mayor Rolando Salinas said in a statement.

The emergency declaration will be in place for one week.

Federal prosecutors have arrested former Doña Ana County Deputy Sheriff Michael Andrew Martinez. They have accused him of kidnapping and sexually assaulting an unnamed victim.

Because Martinez reportedly committed the crimes in April, 2023, while working for the sheriff’s office, he faces federal civil rights and obstruction of justice charges. Prosecutors claim Martinez tried to destroy evidence of the crime.

The Biden administration says it’s granting temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who are already in the country — quickly making them eligible to work — as it grapples with growing numbers of people fleeing the South American country and elsewhere to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The move — along with promises to accelerate work permits for many migrants — may appease Democratic leaders who have pressured the White House to do more to aid asylum seekers, while also providing grist for Republicans who say the President Joe Biden has been too lax on immigration.