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