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Public Safety

  • FDA halts plans for peanut butter plant to resume operations

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has halted operations of the country's largest organic peanut butter processor, cracking down on salmonella poisoning for the first time with a new enforcement authority the agency gained in a 2011 food safety law.

    The news came just hours after Sunland Inc. said it planned to reopen its shuttered processing plant on Tuesday.

    FDA officials found salmonella all over Sunland's New Mexico plant after 41 people in 20 states, most of them children, were sickened by peanut butter manufactured at the plant and sold at Trader Joe's. The suspension will prevent the company from distributing any food.

    The food safety law gave the FDA authority to suspend a company's registration when food manufactured or held there has a "reasonable probability" of causing serious health problems or death.

    Sunland sold hundreds of products to many of the nation's largest grocery chains.

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  • Resident thankful burglary did not take turn for worse

    For Leslie Pfaff of Los Alamos, it wasn’t a burglary, it was an outright home invasion.

    In the early morning hours of Nov. 11, she, her two teenaged children and a friend of the teens, were upstairs when two burglars broke into the bottom floor of her home. Her husband was out of town at the time.

    “At first, I didn’t think anything of it,” she said. “I knew their friend was leaving early in the morning, so when I heard noises of people moving around downstairs, that’s what I thought it was.”

    What she saw later when she went downstairs was spine-chilling. According to the police report, three laptop computers and an iPad were missing. Together, the items were worth about $2,300.

    “I count my blessings that they just took things that could be replaced and they didn’t come upstairs,” she said.

    If they did come upstairs, Pfaff said, things probably would have been different.

    “To protect my family, what wouldn’t I do,” she said. “Hell hath no fury like a mother protecting her children. Take my stuff, I’m not going to shoot you ... touch my family and you will pray for death.”

    She said the whole experience has left her feeling violated.

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  • Police beef up patrols

    Santa’s elves and Baby New Year won’t be the only ones out and about during the holidays; the Los Alamos Police Department will be out there, too.

    According to Lt. Scott Mills, the LAPD will boost their patrols now, through New Year’s Eve.

    “We’ll be putting extra officers in to increase our enforcement efforts for shoplifting, armed burglary, drunken driving and any other criminal activity that would victimize the citizens of Los Alamos during the holiday season,” Mills said.

    The strategy will include beefing up foot and bike patrols in the downtown area, as well as extra officers in different locations throughout the county to help with drunken driving enforcement.

    “Wherever officers think they are needed, they will be moving around to keep an eye on what’s going on,” Mills said.

    He said there’s also a lot residents can do help the police as well as protect themselves.

    “The predators seem to come out in force around this time of year,” Mills said.

    With that in mind, Mills said residents should be mindful of what they have lying around in plain sight in their parked cars.

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  • Group Releases 2012 Dangerous Toys List
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  • Police Beat 11-20-12

    Police Beat items are compiled from public information contained in Los Alamos Police Department Records. Charges or citations listed in Police Beat do not imply innocence or guilt. The Los Alamos Police Department uses the term “arrest” to define anyone who has been physically arrested, server a court summons, or issued a citation.

    Nov. 8

    11:47 a.m. — Kevin Herring, 34, of Los Alamos, was arrested and charged with possession of  drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance on the 4000 block of Sycamore Street,

    11:49 a.m. — Joshua Krepps, 20, of Los Alamos, was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana (less than one ounce) in the 4000 block of Sycamore Street.
    Nov. 9

    1:08 a.m. — A Los Alamos resident reported to police they were the victim of vandalism to their property at Hawk Drive and San Ildefonso Road.

    9:54 a.m. –– Ashley Hagermann, 24, of Los Alamos was arrested on a charge of drug paraphernalia in the 3300 block of Canyon Road.
    6:20 p.m. –– A 57-year-old Los Alamos man reported to police he was the victim of larceny over $20,000 in the 500 block of Camino Cereza.
    Nov. 11

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  • Man wanted for questioning

    Santa Fe police are scheduled to speak with prosecutors this week about filing charges against Jake Smith, a former Santa Fe realtor and Los Alamos restaurateur.

    On Nov. 3, the decomposed bodies of two dogs were taken from Smith’s Santa Fe apartment. Police told the Journal North and Santa Fe New Mexican that the two dogs apparently died of starvation and police said there was no food or water that could be reached by the animals.

    Smith had worked for Barker Realty in Santa Fe before reportedly being fired and worked as a manager at the Hill Diner and the Dixie Girl in Los Alamos, with his mother Denise Lane.

    But right now, Smith is nowhere to be found.

    Santa Fe Police Sgt. Andrea Dobyns told the Journal North that Smith rented an apartment on Pino Road, which is near the Capitol.

    Dobyns said Smith had paid his rent through October, but he had not been seen for about eight weeks. The dogs were eventually found when the landlord called police because he had not seen Smith for close to two months.

    Police have not talked to Smith either.

    Santa Fe police officer David Rael told the Santa Fe New Mexican that the apartment had urine and feces in it, as well as empty wine bottles.

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  • Police Beat 11-13-12

    Police Beat items are compiled from public information contained in Los Alamos Police Department Records. Charges or citations listed in Police Beat do not imply innocence or guilt. The Los Alamos Police Department uses the term “arrest” to define anyone who has been physically arrested, served a court summons, or issued a citation.
    Nov. 1

    3:39 p.m. — Police arrested a 13-year-old Hernandez girl at the Los Alamos Middle School for marijuana possession, less than one ounce and possession of drug paraphernalia.

    (No time given) — Police arrested a 13-year-old Los Alamos girl at the Los Alamos Middle School for one count of marijuana possession, less than one ounce and possession of drug paraphernalia.
    Nov. 2

    5 p.m. — Ricardo Navarro, 25, of Los Alamos, was arrested for shoplifting (less than $100) merchandise at 2500 Trinity Dr.

    6:52 a.m. — A 28-year-old Los Alamos man reported he was the victim of a hit and run in the 2600 block of Walnut Street.

    (No time given) A 16-year-old Los Alamos female was arrested for possession of marijuana, less than one ounce at 39th and Diamond. A 15-year-old Los Alamos male who was with her was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

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  • Storm delivers first snow of the season to LA

    A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS MORNING.

    * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS... ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LESS THAN 1 INCH.

    * TIMING... SNOW WILL TAPER OFF THROUGH THIS MORNING.

    * WINDS... NORTHWEST 10 T0 20 MPH.

    * SNOW LEVELS... TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW AT ALL ELEVATIONS.

    * LOCAL IMPACTS... TRAVELERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO TREACHEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS... ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN. VERY COLD TEMPERATURES TODAY MAY ALLOW SLICK ROADWAY CONDITIONS TO PERSIST... ESPECIALLY IN SHADED AREAS.

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

    A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT... FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

    More Information

    ... WINTRY WEATHER SLOWLY DIMINISHING ACROSS THE AREA TODAY... .

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  • Suspected drunk driver behind Friday traffic snarl

    Nina Roybal, 46, of Santa Fe, was arrested by Santa Fe Sheriff’s Deputy Julie York Friday, shortly after Roybal rolled her Toyota 4Runner on Main Hill Road (N.M. 502).  
    After being treated for minor injuries at the scene, Roybal was administered a series of field sobriety tests by York, which she failed, according authorities.
    Witnesses told police they saw Roybal driving aggressively trying to pass people, even though there was a double line on the two-lane mountain road. Witnesses then said she tried to pass on the right through the shoulder. That’s when her car banked off the canyon wall and flipped over.
    York decided to do the tests after smelling alcohol on Roybal’s breath. Roybal also showed signs of impairment, according to the deputy. Roybal was then booked and put into the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Center. She was charged with driving while under the influence of drugs and or alcohol and careless driving.
    The crash happened around 2 p.m. Friday. The road was closed for at least an hour until the arrest and the clean up of the road was completed.

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  • Police Beat 11-06-12

    Police Beat items are compiled from public information contained in Los Alamos Police Department Records. Charges or citations listed in Police Beat do not imply innocence or guilt. The Los Alamos Police Department uses the term “arrest” to define anyone who has been physically arrested, served a court summons, or issued a citation.

    Oct. 26

    (No time given) Kevin Herring, 34, of Los Alamos was issued a summons on a charge of battery in the 4000 block of Sycamore Street.
    (No time given) Eric Mahler, 30 of Santa Fe was issued a summons on a charge of aggravated assault in the 4000 block of Sycamore Street. Mahler was also arrested Oct. 25 at 5:02 p.m. in the 1100 block of Sioux on a magistrate court warrant.
    Oct. 27

    3:30 a.m. — Heath Wade, 30, of Los Alamos was arrested on a magistrate court warrant in the 1700 block of 37th Street.
    Oct. 28

    1:20 a.m. — Christopher Wajda, 21, of Los Alamos was charged with shoplifting in the Giant convenience store at 3701 Arkansas Ave.

    11:16 a.m. — A 41-year-old female reported she was the victim of fraud in the 200 block of Rover Boulevard. The amount taken was more than $250 and less than $20,000.

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