Edwing Ahmed Alvarez Trial

CRIME & MORE
LAREDO POLICE BLOTTER
ASSAULT
1 Justin Lara, 19, was arrested
and charged with
assault, family violence at
about 7:30 p.m. Sunday in
the 400 block of West San
Pedro Street.
1 Miguel Ramos, 19, was
arrested and charged with
assault, family violence at
about 5:30 a.m. Monday in
the 3200 block of St. Kathryn
Loop.
1 Juan Ortiz, 34, was arrested
and charged with
assault at about 11:30 a.m.
Monday in the 1200 block
of San Agustin Avenue.
DWI
1 Alfredo Gonzalez, 40,
was arrested and charged
with driving while intoxicated
at about 9:15 p.m.
Sunday in the 2400 block
of North Meadow Avenue.
FAIL TO ID
1 Gabriela Rocha, 31, was
arrested and charged with
fail to identify at about
12:45 a.m. Monday in the
100 block of East Price
Street.
POSSESSION
1 Abdon Loera, 31, was
arrested and charged with
possession of a controlled
substance at about 5:30
p.m. Sunday in the 100
block of East Reynolds
Street.
1 Antonio Velasquez, 45,
was arrested and charged
with possession of a controlled
substance at about
8:30 p.m. Sunday in the
2900 block of Chacota
Street.
1 Viola Ortiz Garza, 51, and
Reymundo Rojas, 32, were
arrested and charged with
manufacture, delivery of a
controlled substance at
about 9:30 a.m. Monday in
the 200 block of San Eduardo
Avenue.
THEFT
1 Jonathan Olivas, 32, was
arrested and charged with
theft at about 5:45 p.m.
Sunday in the 5300 block
of San Dario Avenue.
1 Brianna Capetillo, 19,
was arrested and charged
with theft at about 9:45
p.m. Sunday in the 2600
block of North Bob Bullock
Loop.
1 Victor Lopez Reyes, 32,
was arrested and charged
with theft at about 11 a.m.
Monday in the 4700 block
of Maher Avenue.
Man allegedly exposes
his private parts
By César G. Rodriguez
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
A man landed behind
bars recently after he
allegedly exposed his
private parts during a
traffic stop, according to
Laredo police.
Ernesto Enrique Gonzalez,
32, was charged
with indecent exposure.
At approximately 8:30
p.m. Friday, an LPD
officer saw a silver Mercury
Milan in the middle
of a local intersection
impeding the flow of
traffic.
Police noticed two
occupants in the vehicle.
When the driver
opened the door, the
officer could smell the
odor of marijuana emanating
from the vehicle.
Authorities identified
him as Gonzalez.
He started acting agitated
for being detained,
police said. When the
officer asked him to empty
his pockets, Gonzalez
allegedly responded in
Spanish, “I don’t have
anything. Check me.”
As he kept shouting,
he lowered his pants and
boxers in the middle of
the street and exposed
his private parts, according
to LPD.
D A Y
HOT BUY
A raid at the Nuevo
Laredo prison yielded
contraband, including
cockfighting roosters, the
Tamaulipas public safety
department announced
over the weekend.
Tamaulipas authorities,
assisted by the federal
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Wednesday 10 am - 9 pm
PREVIEW DAY - Tuesday
police and Mexican marines,
searched the Centros
de Ejecución de Sanciones,
or CEDES, prison
at about 6 a.m. Friday.
Authorities said they
found an exotic chicken,
three roosters, 12 cell
phones, 16 baggies of
marijuana and shanks
after a meticulous search
in the prison cells and
torney
Javier Guzman
said.
“The
most sacred
place
aperson
Alvarez has is their
home,”
Guzman said.
He added, “No person
should go into somebody
else’s home without their
consent.”
Officers discovered a
ransacked home at the
residence, with knocked
over items, doors left
open and a television
visibly missing, LPD
Officer Juan Alvaro Morales
said.
After the burglary,
Alvarez allegedly went to
a pawnshop and pawned
the window unit before
returning hours later to
attempt to pawn the television,
according to wit-
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Contraband found in
Nuevo Laredo prison
A jury trial began
Monday in the 111th District
Court for a convicted
felon accused of ransacking
a house in July.
Edwing Ahmed Alvarez
is standing trial on a
charge of burglary of a
habitation.
Alvarez, 31, has been
arrested 35 times for
charges including assault,
robbery, fraud, prohibited
weapons, burglary, prostitution,
shoplifting and
drug possession, according
to the Laredo Police
Department.
Alvarez took a shopping
cart into a residence
in the 500 block of East
Freemont Street on July
15, where he proceeded to
take some electronics and
an air conditioning unit,
Assistant District Atness
testimony.
LPD Officer Luis Becerra
said he detained
Alvarez after seeing he fit
a description given of the
burglary suspect.
Alvarez was detained
while pushing a grocery
cart with a television in
it. He claimed the television
belonged to him,
Becerra said.
Alvarez is facing up to
10 years in prison if found
guilty.
He has elected to have
111th District Court Judge
Monica Z. Notzon impose
his punishment rather
than the jury, if found
guilty.
Prior convictions
Court records state
Alvarez reached a plea
agreement with the state,
pleading guilty to credit
card or debit card abuse,
in March 2011. He was
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administrative areas.
“The animals, which
were found inside their
cages, were apparently
used to organize cockfighting
inside the prison,”
Tamaulipas authorities
said in a statement.
Tamaulipas officials
added that over the last
year, no altercations have
been reported at CEDES.
Trial begins for convicted felon
By Taryn T. Walters
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Courtesy photo
Tamaulipas authorities found cockfighting roosters
during a prison raid over the weekend.
By César G. Rodriguez
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
sentenced to serve 10
months in a state jail
facility.
In April 2011, Alvarez
received a two-year
sentence to run concurrently
with the card
abuse sentence after
pleading guilty to burglary
of a habitation,
records state.
Alvarez was sentenced
again to serve 10
months jail time in February
2015 for theft of
property charges.
Records state Alvarez
was indicted earlier this
month on charges of
unauthorized use of a
vehicle and theft of
property over $2,500,
both state jail felony
charges.
He has yet to make a
court appearance in the
theft case. Trial for the
burlary is expected to
conclude Tuesday.
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Courtesy photo
Mexican authorities search the Centros de Ejecución
de Sanciones Friday.
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A10 | Wednesday, April 26, 2017 | LAREDO MORNING TIMES
OBITUARIES & MORE
NORBERTO LEZA MENDOZA
HILDA GARZA SIGMAN
Hilda Garza Sigman, 86,
left us to join the Lord on
Wednesday, April 19, 2017,
after a short illness in Satellite
Beach, Florida. She
was surrounded by friends
and family.
Hilda was raised in Laredo,
Texas where she attended
Martin High
School. She lived most of
her adult life in Satellite
Beach, Florida.
Hilda was preceded in
death by her parents, Jesus
D. Garza and Julieta Moreno
Garza; husband, Ed Sig-
Herma Fonseca, 85, entered
into eternal rest
Monday, April 24, 2017.
Mrs. Fonseca is preceded
in death by her parents,
Gonzalo (Vita) Fonseca
and brother, Tigrio Fonseca.
She is survived by her;
sister, Rosa (Jorge) Fonseca
De Villarreal; sister-in-law,
Anita Morado De Fonseca;
nephews, Antonio (Anne)
Fonseca, Dante (Doris)
Fonseca, Jose Manuel Fonseca,
Gerardo Fonseca and
Gabriel (Teresa) Fonseca;
as well as other family
members and friends.
Funeral services will be
held Thursday, April 27,
2017 with a visitation from
7:00 am to 9:30 am at Nieto
Funeral Home & Crematory.
Procession will follow
to Mother Cabrini Catholic
Church for a celebration of
mass at 10:00 am. Interment
will follow to the Calvary
Catholic Cemetery.
Norberto Leza Mendoza,
58, was called by the
Lord on Tuesday, April
25, 2017.
He was preceded in
death by his parents, Jesus
& Maria Luisa Leza &
brother, Gerardo Leza.
Left to cherish his
memory is his wife, Blanca
E. Leza, children: Mary
Carmen (Jose Estrada)
Leza, Norberto (Olga) Leza,
Jr., Jose Alberto (Kimberly)
Leza, Alejandro Leza,
Blanca Estela Leza &
Norma Alicia Leza, siblings:
Maria Luisa (Felipe
Bonilla) Leza, Juan Antonio
(Linda) Leza, Sergio
(Guillermina) Leza, Leo
(Alejandra) Leza, Belem
(Teodoro) Gonzalez, Mayra
(Hermilo) Rodriguez &
Jesus (Genoveva) Leza,
mother in law, Maria Olvido
Mercado, 7 grandchildren,
nieces, nephews,
other relatives and
friends.
The family will be receiving
guests on Thursday,
April 27, 2017, from
5pm to 9pm at Gamez &
Sons Funeral and Cremation
Services where a rosary
will be recited at
7pm. Funeral services
will be on Friday, April 28,
2017, from the funeral
home to San Vicente de
Paul Catholic Church
where a funeral mass will
be celebrated at 9:00am.
Interment will follow immediately
at the Calvary
Catholic Cemetery. Pallbearers
will be: Norberto
Leza, Jr., Jose Alberto Leza,
Alejandro Leza, Sergio
Leza, Juan Antonio Leza
& Leo Leza.
"Dale, Señor el descanso
eterno, y brille para él
la luz perpetua."
Funeral services are
under the arrangement of
Gámez and Sons Funeral
and Cremation Services,
1029 Bob Bullock Loop,
Laredo, Texas 78043. For
more information regarding
service times and
dates please call our office
at (956) 701-3459, or you
can view service information,
sign the guestbook,
buy flowers or leave your
condolences to the family
online at www.gamezandsons.com.
man; sister, Rosa Maria
Reed, daughter, Gigi Patterson;
and grandson, Andrew
Miller.
She is survived by her
children Andrew Miller
Patterson, Jr., Clyde Phillip
Patterson, and Mary Elizabeth
Patterson; brother Felipe
Chito Garza and sister
Guadalupe Prieta Benavides.
Also surviving her
are grandchildren, cousins,
nieces and nephews
who will miss her dearly.
Services were held in
Satellite Beach, Florida.
HERMA FONSECA
Funeral service arrangements
are under the
care of Nieto Funeral
Home & Crematory, 802
Coke St. Laredo, TX 78040.
Condolences can be expressed
to the family online
at www.nietofuneral-
.com.
SRA. FRANCISCA LETICIA
PINTO DE OROZCO
4 DE OCTUBRE DE 1934 –
24 DE ABRIL DEL 2017
El día lunes, 24 de abril
del 2017, a la edad de 82
años, entro a su descanso
eterno la Sra. Francisca
Leticia Pinto de Orozco.
Su memoria siempre será
recordada por aquellos
quien más la amaban.
Francisca fue precedida
en muerte por su esposo,
Jose Maria Orozco Villarreal.
La sobreviven sus hijos,
Jose Maria (Diana) Orozco,
Ángeles (+Omar) Martínez,
Leticia (+Gilberto)
Carmona, Jorge Alberto
(Ana Laura) Orozco, Juana
Irene (Jorge) Garcia, Raul
Alfonso (Silvia) Orozco,
Gilberto Antonio (Patricia)
Orozco, Laura Verónica
Orozco Pinto, Cesar Augusto
(Josefina) Orozco;
hermanos, Lic. Alberto
(Margarita) Pinto Arreola,
Norma (+Viviano) Pinto de
Cantu; además de sus nietos,
bisnietos, tataranieto,
sobrinos y familia política.
El velorio se recibe
miércoles 26 de abril del
2017 en la Capilla Joe Jackson
North, 1410 Jacaman
Rd., de 5 p.m. a 9 p.m. El
Rosario se oficiara a las 7
de la tarde.
Misa de Cuerpo Presente
tomara lugar el jueves
27 de abril del 2017 a las
Salomon Oviedo, 102,
passed away on Sunday,
April 23, 2017 at a local hospital.
Mr. Oviedo was born in
Comfort, Texas and had
been a lifelong resident of
Laredo, Texas.
He was a veteran of
World War II, in which he
served with the United
States Army from 1942 until
his separation in 1945.
He did his tour of duty as a
Grade 4 Technician with
the 108th Infantry. He
served during the battle at
Guadalcanal, at Luzon, in
1945 and earned the Combat
Infantry Badge, Asiatic
Pacific Campaign Medal
with 2 bronze stars, Philippine
Liberation Medal
with one bronze star,
American Theater Campaign
Medal, American
Defense Service Medal
and the Good Conduct
Medal.
He is preceded in death
by his wife, Elena E. Oviedo;
parents, Cecilio and
Concepcion Oviedo; son,
Salomon R. Oviedo Jr.;
brother, Manuel Oviedo
and Teodoro Oviedo; sisters,
Maximina Sanchez,
Antonia Arredondo, Zenaida
O. Cortinas and Esmeralda
Gutierrez.
He is survived by his
SALOMON OVIEDO
10:30 de la mañana en la
Iglesia Católica San Patricio.
El cortejo partirá de la
capilla fúnebre a las 10
a.m.
Los servicios funerarios
terminaran en la capilla
para pasar a su cremación.
Se les invita a compartir
su pésame en nuestro sitio
web: www.joejacksonfuneralchapels.com
Los arreglos han sido
confiados a los directores
de la empresa fúnebre Joe
Jackson North Funeral
Chapels, 1410 Jacaman Rd.,
956-722-8850.
children, Nelda Oviedo,
Concepcion (Federico)
Solis, Esmeralda (Arturo)
Santos Jr., Nora A. Oviedo,
Jose Javier (Lizzy) Oviedo,
Luis Antonio Oviedo and
Olga Leticia Oviedo; 30
grandchildren, many
great-grandchildren and
great-great grandchildren;
brother, Patricio (Maria)
Oviedo; sisters, Delia Wolters,
Celia Ramirez and
Natividad Almendarez.
Visitation and a Vigil of
the Deceased were held on
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Hernandez-Lopez and
Sons Northside Chapel,
800 Boston at San Bernardo
Ave.
Funeral services will
begin on Wednesday,
April 26, 2017 at 9:30 a.m.
departing from the funeral
home chapel. Holy Mass
will be celebrated at 10 a.m.
at Holy Redeemer Catholic
Church. Committal services
and interment will follow
in the Laredo City
Cemetery.
www.HernandezLopezFH.com.
Mistrial declared for
home burglary case
By Taryn T. Walters
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
A judge in the 111th
District Court declared a
mistrial Tuesday for a
man accused of burglarizing
a home in July.
111th District Court
Judge Monica Z. Notzon
ended the trial after the
jury was unable to return
a verdict after about six
hours of deliberations.
Edwing Ahmed Alvarez
was standing trial on
a charge of burglary of a
habitation.
The prosecution
claimed Alvarez, 31, took
a shopping cart into a
residence in the 500 block
of East Fremont Street on
July 15, where he proceeded
to take some electronics
and an air conditioning
unit.
Officers discovered a
ransacked home at the
residence, with knocked
over items, doors left
open and a television
visibly missing, LPD
Officer Juan Alvaro Morales
said.
After the burglary,
Alvarez allegedly went to
a pawnshop and pawned
the window unit before
returning hours later to
attempt to pawn the television,
according
to witness
testimony.
Alvarez
returned to
the house
Alvarez after pawning
the
window unit and began
stealing more items from
the home, assistant District
attorney Javier Guzman
said.
Alvarez denied the
allegations. His attorney,
Miguel Serrano, claims
the prosecution wanted
to convict Alvarez on
partial fingerprints discovered
inside the home.
Fingerprints from the
window where the air
conditioning unit was
removed did not match to
Alvarez’s prints, Serrano
said.
Alvarez has been arrested
35 times for
charges including assault,
robbery, fraud, prohibited
weapons, burglary, prostitution,
shoplifting and
drug possession, according
to the Laredo Police
Department.
His case is set to be
retried May 8 in the 111th
District Court. If found
guilty, he faces up to 10
years in prison.
DPS investigating
charter bus crash
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Department of Public
Safety troopers have
launched an investigation
into the possible causes of
a charter bus crash Monday
night on a remote
stretch of a two-lane road
in La Salle County.
Emergency responders
were dispatched to the
crash site some three
miles east of Interstate 35
near Millett shortly after
9 p.m. to find that a bus
driver had sustained only
minor injuries when his
vehicle had veered off the
roadway and tipped onto
its side.
The crash on FM 469
had occurred more than
45 minutes previously but
had not been reported to
the county’s emergency
dispatcher, according to
the DPS, but a construction
site work crew had
found the overturned
vehicle.
In a brief report, DPS is
indicating that the bus
driver employed by Ronald
A. Wagner & Company
had been traveling east
on the farm-to-market
road when he had lost
control of his steering in a
curve, causing the vehicle
to tip onto its passenger
side.
The bus had been on its
way to pick up a work
crew at the time of the
crash, according to the
DPS. Among those dispatched
to the scene were
firefighters and medics of
the La Salle Fire Rescue &
EMS. The driver was
taken by ambulance to
Frio Regional Hospital at
Pearsall for treatment.
No charges have been
filed in the case, pending
the outcome of the DPS
investigation into factors
that may have contributed
to the crash.
Lane closures remained
in effect on FM 469 for
more than two hours for
cleanup at the crash site
and removal of the damaged
bus.
Fuel spill
Monday evening’s accident
occurred at the same
time as an incident some
40 miles to the south that
likewise required emergency
response and lane
closures. Deputies of the
La Salle County Sheriff’s
Office were dispatched to
the site of a fuel spill near
the intersection of I-35
and Texas 44 in Encinal
shortly after 9 p.m. and
reported that interstate
ramp closures would be
necessary during a cleanup
operation.
The TxDOT has since
confirmed that I-35 access
and exit ramps were restricted
and that motorists
were diverted to alternate
routes.
A report on the fuel
spill indicates that a commercial
truck may have
sustained a puncture to
its diesel tank when its
driveshaft disengaged,
crippling the 18-wheel
freighter near the intersection.
Lane closures
remained in effect for at
least two hours.
HOMERO PEÑA, SR.
Homero Peña, Sr. entered
into eternal rest,
Thursday, April 20, 2017
surrounded by his beloved
family.
The family will receive
guests today, Wednesday,
April 26, 2017, from 9:00
am to 11:00 am at Fred
Dickey Funeral & Cremation
Services, where a
chapel service will commence
at 11:00 am. Officiating
will be Pastors Billy
Cummings and Daniel
Cummings. Interment
will immediately follow
to the Laredo City Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be: Homer
Peña, Henry Peña,
Ernie Peña, Abel Hilario,
Arturo Hilario, Alan
Montalvo, Gene Kline and
Ben Kline. Honorary pallbearers
will be: Scotty
Anderson, Armando Hilario,
Daniel Cummings
and Billy Cummings.
Funeral arrangements
are by Fred Dickey Funeral
& Cremation Services,
1320 Trey Dr. Laredo,
Texas (956)723-3611.
You may leave condolences
to the family online at
www.freddickey.com.
COURT
From page A1
was ordered to serve 188
months in prison for both
the conspiracy and for
possession with intent to
distribute cocaine.
Melendez claims she
and her children were
just following the instructions
of her husband,
who she says was
in charge of everything.
“I was not thinking we
were all going to end up
in jail,” Melendez said.
Melendez’s attorney,
Jesus M. Dominguez, said
his client had the least
authority and decisionmaking
power.
“She would do what
the males in the family
would tell her,” Dominguez
said.
The prosecution refuted
this claim, saying Melendez
did not play a
passive role in the organization.
Rather, Melendez
was responsible for the
money flowing through
the organization, assistant
U.S. attorney José
Angel Moreno said.
“I think that even
though she had options
(of leaving), she is definitely
in this for the
greed,” Moreno said.
Wiretapped conversations
between Melendez
and her sons, Rafael
“Chon” Melendez and
Adan “Vivi” Melendez Jr.,
who were both minors at
the time, were discussed
throughout the hearing.
The phone calls show
Melendez as someone
who is comfortable and
involved in the drug organization
— someone who
accepted the lifestyle —
according to Saldaña.
Calls intercepted included
discussions between
Melendez and her
sons about drug transactions
both inside and
outside of a tire shop
located in the 2800 block
of San Luis Street.
Nearly 10,000 telephone
calls were intercepted
from five lines
during the course of the
investigation into Adan
Melendez and the drug
trafficking organization.
According to her attorney,
Melendez associated
herself with her
husband’s dealings because
she wanted to keep
the family together.
She did it for the money
and because she would
suffer the consequences
of her husband getting
mad if she didn’t participate,
Dominguez said.
Saldaña included mental
health treatment for
Melendez in the judgment,
recognizing that
Adan Melendez played a
“dominant” role in his
relationship with his
wife.
Saldaña also requested
Melendez complete substance
abuse testing, an
educational services program,
and a drug treatment
program.
A total of 19 defendants
have now been sentenced
as part of Operation "Revocation."
The 18 others received
terms up to 210 months in
prison. Nine additional
defendants convicted in
the case are still pending
sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement
Administration, Laredo
Police Department, Webb
County Sheriff's Office
and Texas Department of
Public Safety conducted
the Organized Crime
Drug Enforcement Task
Force investigation,
which was initiated by
the Webb County District
Attorney’s Office.