Santa Fe man arrested in shooting

An 18-year-old Santa Fe man was arrested earlier this week and charged with shooting a 14-year-old girl in the face on Airport Road on Dec. 20, according to a news release.

Alexander Huizar was first arrested three days after the shooting on an unrelated charge of negligent use of a weapon during a domestic dispute, the release says. He had a 9 mm handgun on him at the time — the one that investigators believe was used to shoot the girl, said Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano.

At the time, investigators didn't suspect Huizar of the shooting, and he was released the same day on bond, the release says. Detectives later received confidential information that Huizar was the shooter and brought his picture to the girl, who is recovering in a Denver hospital, the release states. The girl positively identified Huizar as the man who shot her, the release states.

The girl was riding in the back of a 1993 Cadillac about 12:30 a.m. Dec. 20 when she was shot. The shots came from a black Dodge pickup, Solano has said. The slugs lodged in a soft tissue area near the back of the girl's cheek and were not life-threatening.

Huizar was charged with four counts of shooting at or from a motor vehicle, one count of causing great bodily injury, unlawfully possessing a handgun and criminally damaging property.

Girlfriend alleges self-defense

The girlfriend of a man treated Thursday for stab wounds told police she was acting in self-defense when she stabbed him, police said Friday.

Police first received a call about 10:25 p.m. from personnel at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center about a man with stab wounds, said Deputy Police Chief Benjie Montaño. James Roybal, 29, told police he was stabbed by a woman named Tanna Yawakie, 20, at an apartment on Pacheco Street, Montaño said.

Police first received a call about 10:25 p.m. from personnel at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center about a man with stab wounds, said Deputy Police Chief Benjie Montaño. James Roybal, 29, told police he was stabbed by a woman named Tanna Yawakie, 20, at an apartment on Pacheco Street, Montaño said.

When police interviewed Yawakie at the apartment, she told them she had given a co-worker a ride home that day and arrived back to her residence late. Roybal then accused Yawakie of "messing around" with the co-worker and began beating her, Montaño said

As Roybal beat her in the dining room of their apartment, she grabbed a steak knife and stabbed him on the right shoulder, the left forearm and on his back, Montaño said. Yawakie told police Roybal has beaten her regularly for the last two years, Montaño said.

Neither Roybal nor Yawakie was charged. Police forwarded the report to the District Attorney's Office.

Sect leader Bent ends prison fast

LOS LUNAS — The head of a northeastern New Mexico religious sect has ended the fast he began after being sent to prison earlier this week for sexual misconduct.

Wayne Bent, leader of The Lord Our Righteousness Church, ended his fast at lunch Friday, said Tia Bland, a spokeswoman for the state Corrections Department in Santa Fe.

Bent had refused to eat since he arrived Tuesday evening at the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility at Los Lunas.

PNM: State gas prices down

ALBUQUERQUE — Public Service Company of New Mexico customers will pay about 62 cents per therm for natural gas this month, 19 percent less than the January 2008 price but slightly higher than last month.

PNM estimates the average heating bill for homes this month at about $112.

January's per-therm natural gas price is 4.5 percent higher than December's price of 59 cents.

In January 2008, however, the per-therm cost of gas was 76.65 cents.

Groups talk wind facility impacts

Public officials, tribal officials and the public are invited to a one day "conversation" Tuesday in Santa Fe to discuss large-scale wind facilities planned for the state. The meeting is from 2 to 4 p.m. at the New Mexico State Library, 1205 Camino Carlos Rey, Room 2027.

A panel will discuss its concerns with wind-energy facilities and give suggestions for potential policies that promote renewable energy and protect communities.

New Mexico Cares and New Mexico Citizens Alliance for Responsible Energy are sponsoring the workshop. Space is limited; to register, call Keely Meaga at 470-7304.

Woman run over by her own car

An unidentified woman was run over by her own car in the DeVargas Center parking lot Friday evening after it apparently slipped out of park and she was knocked to the ground by the open driver's side door, police said.

One wheel of the car ran over both of her legs, and the vehicle smashed into two other vehicles before coming to a stop, said Deputy Police Chief Benjie Montaño. The woman was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. Her condition was not disclosed.

Montaño said the accident occurred shortly before 6 p.m. near the Office Depot on the south side of the shopping center.

Qwest reports on service stoppage

Qwest met a Friday deadline to report to New Mexico regulators on the company's efforts to restore Internet service that was disconnected earlier this week in a business dispute.

The state Public Regulation Commission ordered Qwest to restore service to customers of SkyWi Inc., an independently owned and operated Internet service provider, after Qwest disconnected the provider over a $1.7 million debt.

About 10,000 customers were disconnected earlier this week.

"I don't know which side is right or wrong," PRC Chairman Jason Marks said. "The commission simply determined they both let their focus on private interests overshadow the fact that Qwest and SkyWi are providing essential public services."

The disruption affected homes, businesses and emergency service providers in several parts of the state, from Taos to Carlsbad and Las Cruces. Emergency 911 lines were not affected.

Three appointed to judgeships

ALBUQUERQUE — Three people have been named to vacancies on the state district court in Albuquerque.

Gov. Bill Richardson on Friday appointed Alan M. Malott, Gerard Lavelle and Beatrice Brickhouse to the 2nd Judicial District Court.

Malott has an extensive background in personal-injury law and commercial law.

Lavelle has worked primarily in domestic relations law and is currently a hearing officer in the Domestic Violence Division in the Albuquerque court.

Brickhouse has been assistant city attorney for Albuquerque since October 2002.

The judges replace newly appointed Court of Appeals Judge Linda Vanzi and two retiring judges, Judge Richard Knowles and Judge Ernesto Romero.