Man Accused Of Fatally Shooting New Mexico Girl Is Indicted - The Associated Press
The man accused of fatally shooting a preschooler on a New Mexico freeway last month has been indicted by a Bernalillo County grand jury.
Prosecutors say 32-year-old Tony Torrez was indicted Friday on charges of first-degree murder, shooting at or from a motor vehicle and causing great bodily harm, and assault with intent to commit a violent felony.
Torrez was arrested Oct. 21, a day after the shooting that killed 4-year-old Lilly Garcia during what Albuquerque police have described as a road rage dispute.
Lilly was inside her father's truck when she was shot.
Torrez is being held on a $650,000 cash-only bond.
His public defenders say they "expect serious issues to emerge concerning the nature and causes" of the shooting. They did not elaborate, indicating the defense's investigation into the case is ongoing.
Owners Of Albuquerque Pool Hall Get Probation In Tax Case - The Associated Press
Three brothers who own a billiards hall in New Mexico have each been sentenced to five years' probation after pleading guilty in a federal tax evasion case.
Prosecutors say 51-year-old Hrant Kostanian, 59-year-old Gayk Kostanian and 55-year-old Hrair Kostanian also were ordered Friday to jointly pay more than $263,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.
That's the amount of corporate taxes they allegedly evaded during tax years 2007-2010 by maintaining false books and records and filing false tax returns.
The brothers all are naturalized U.S. citizens from Armenia and own Billiards Palace in northeast Albuquerque.
They were indicted in September 2014 on one count of conspiracy and four counts of tax evasion
The brothers each pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to defraud the federal government out of corporate taxes owed.
Spaceport Master Plan Calls For New Hangar, Lease Space - The Associated Press
It could be late 2017 before Virgin Galactic begins launching commercial space flights from the New Mexico desert, but state spaceport officials say they have a new master plan aimed at attracting tenants and boosting revenues.
The plan calls for building a new hangar at Spaceport America, developing the vertical launch area and offering about 300 acres for lease. Officials envision leasing parcels of various sizes to aerospace and other tech-related companies.
Spaceport Authority Executive Director Christine Anderson says the plan could generate more than $3.2 million a year in rent.
Anderson briefed lawmakers during a meeting in Santa Fe earlier this week.
Rep. Luciano "Lucky" Varela of Santa Fe said Friday he's still concerned about delays with Virgin Galactic and the ability of the spaceport to support itself financially.