She first pursued her career in writing in college. Required fields are marked *. 75 0 obj Levi Chavez is charged with first-degree murder and evidence tampering. What should I do if I am stopped by a police officer? The Attorney Generals office said this crackdown is on the more violent offenders and they know who they are. The donut shop has announced it has closed its South Valley and Northeast Heights locations. Self Service Car Washes Near Me, Medina was named interim Chief of Police in September 2020, and appointed by Mayor Keller to serve as permanent Chief of Police in March 2021. Please call the 118th Street Task Force at 1-877-765-8273 , (505) 768-2450 or Crime Stoppers at (505) 843-STOP with any information you may have concerning this crime. (Greg Sorber/Journal). Somebody dumped the Internet history.. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. June 26, 2013— -- A former Albuquerque, N.M., police officer is on trial, accused of killing his 26-year-old wife with his department-issued handgun and trying to make her death look like a suicide because, prosecutors say, she was about to report him for insurance fraud. Former Albuquerque Police Officer Levi Chavez enters court on June 13, 2013 in Bernalillo, N.M. Dean Hanson/The Albuquerque Journal/AP Photo, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Critics, supporters offer differing opinions on program's future in New Mexico, Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro to reopen after three years. For weeks, the murder trial captivated parts of central New Mexico as residents were fixated in barber shops, diners and grocery stores. Levi was staying with his mother in October 2007, she testified today, during one of the couples estrangements. Heather Chavez also testified that she never met or spoke to Tera Chavez. Engage via Email. Although he testified that someone had altered things on its hard drive, he was confident that one of the searches he uncovered had, indeed, occurred a White Pages search that turned up the home address for Aaron Jones, the lead detective investigating Teras death for the Valencia County Sheriffs Office. Levi Chavez refuted Slamas claims when he testified. Serna told Chavez. LeviChavezLaw . Nobody thus far has had to pay for this crime," Chavez said.Police believe someone does know who killed Carla Felmer and Farmington police are still following leads in this case. Pedro Taylor Football, (Adolphe Pierre-Louis-Journal), Former APD officer Levi Chavez, center, hugs family members after being found not guilty of murder on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. He stopped McKay on a few occasions and asked whether he could talk to my jury.. In 2011, the Albuquerque police officer was accused of murder. City of Albuquerque goes to court to shut down City says the property puts the community at risk, but owner says it's unfair to blame businesses for Albuquerque crime and homelessness, Bernalillo County deputy involved in rollover crash in Northeast Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Hospital launching health care listening tour, Support for families: Nonprofit that helps people who are homeless gets mattress donation, Where does medical cannabis go from here? Detective Heather Chavez with the Farmington police said.Police believe Carla likely knew her attacker. Shortly after the states last witness and the jury were excused Monday, Levis attorney, David Serna, asked state District Judge George P. Eichwald to find Chavez not guilty with a directed verdict. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Now they are calling on Albuquerque P Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Among them is likely to be Russell Perea, the former APD officer who was sharing a police vehicle with Levi Chavez on the weekend Tera Chavez died. He had to watch his parents pass away and they never had closure so they never knew what happened to Carla. But Romero said she never knew about her sons infidelity only that he and Tera were having problems., Your email is safe with us, we dont spam, Romero testified that she had regrets about guilting and coercing her son to remain married to Tera even though the two shouldve been divorced many years ago.. KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. But they didnt begin deliberating until Monday because of the late hour. Critics, supporters offer differing opinions on program's future in New Mexico, Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro to reopen after three years. . Please God," Chavez responded. Market data provided by Factset. He was honored as the Uniformed Officer of the month as a patrol officer three times. Serna will begin putting defense witnesses on the stand today. He introduced and developed several first-time programs that emphasized on outreach to local youth. The Albuquerque City Council voted 8-0 on March 15, 2021 to confirm Medina's appointment as Chief of the Albuquerque Police Department. (Dean Hanson/Journal) 1:48 p.m. BERNALILLOTwenty-four days after Levi Chavez called. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Levi Chavez, an Albuquerque police officer, called 911 on the morning of October 22, 2007, to report that he'd come home to find his wife dead of a gunshot wound from his service weapon. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis /Journal), Former APD officer Levi Chavez clutches a rosary before being found not guilty of murder on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Serna admitted 29 exhibits into evidence, including an OMI photograph of Teras tongue removed from her body that showed a round burn mark near the back of the tongue. On cross-examination, Serna asked Garcia only one question: You didnt come to any professional conclusions that any of the surfaces you examined had been wiped clean, did you?, She replied: I could not determine that.. xc````` ]ep e1BU&lwYp3Y76fb`;RD" New Mexico weavers keeping tradition alive, 1 injured in Bernalillo County deputy-involved crash, Mortgage rates have little reason to fall in March. endobj Levi Chavez came back the following week and did exactly that. Over the years, detectives. << /Annots 92 0 R /Contents [ 77 0 R 78 0 R 79 0 R 80 0 R 81 0 R 82 0 R 83 0 R 84 0 R ] /CropBox [ 0.0 0.0 612.0 792.0 ] /Group 108 0 R /MediaBox [ 0.0 0.0 612.0 792.0 ] /Parent 5 0 R /Resources << /ColorSpace << /CS0 95 0 R /CS1 96 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS0 97 0 R >> /Font << /TT0 99 0 R /TT1 101 0 R /TT2 103 0 R /TT3 105 0 R >> /XObject << /Im0 88 0 R /Im1 89 0 R /Im2 90 0 R >> >> /Rotate 0 /StructParents 0 /Tabs /S /Type /Page >> Prosecutors allege that he killed Tera in the couple's Los Lunas home on either Oct. 19, 20 or 21, 2007 and tried to make. Tera's family said he did it to. Still -- nearly three decades later -- no arrests. All Rights Reserved. Chavez still faces a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Tera Chavez. She left the courtroom in tears and came back in eight minutes later, still dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. Brookreson said there was no way to tell who was responsible for the activity on the computer, which in addition to Levi Chavez also appeared to have been used by Tera Chavez and possibly one or both of the couples two young children. Police are asking people with legitimate tips to contact the Farmington Police Department detective's hotline at 505-599-1068 or CrimeStoppers in Farmington at 334-tips. "I'm going to go to church, pray my Rosary and thank my Virgin Mary," Chavez said as he was crowded by reporters. The DNA belonged to both Tera and Levi Chavez, according to Williams. Levi Chavez, in a surprise move, testified in his own defense. Levi Chavez is the Husband of Tera, and he was a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. Master Police Officer 1C at City of Albuquerque. He strongly follows the principles of community oriented policing and has begun implementing Community Engagement, Partnerships with Business Coalitions, Youth and Elderly Outreach within the Albuquerque Police Department. , VIDEO: Giant I-40 light poles sway in strong ABQ, Taxidermy birds used to make drones at New Mexico, PHOTOS: Storm leaves parts of state covered in snow, PHOTOS: Winter storm moves through NM leaving snow, PHOTOS: Storm causes snowy, icy roads across New, Map: New Mexico Veterans Monuments and Memorials, 13 Broadcast Pl SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. I wasnt worried.. endobj Weve made it clear to them: Teras your mother, and she loves you,' she said of Tera and Levis children. Asked if he would try to get his old job back with the Albuquerque Police Department, Chavez blurted out a date but declined to say what that date meant. "I don't feel like speaking for his future.". Bernalillo County deputy involved in rollover crash in Northeast A Bernalillo County deputy was reportedly A Bernalillo County deputy was reportedly not injured after their vehicle rolled in a two-vehicle crash Saturday morning in Northeast Albuquerque. gtag('config', 'UA-177193517-1'); Levi was initially charged Jason Chavez in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Within two months of her death, he was engaged to a former colleague at the Albuquerque Police Department, Heather Hindi, and they were married a few months later, PEOPLE wrote. %PDF-1.7 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - The family of 33-year-old Erika Chavez, the Albuquerque woman who died in a car crash, said their lives will never be the same. To provide or request additional information, please contact: - Det. New Mexico State Police, Albuquerque Police Department, and Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office, and recently added representatives from the U.S. Drug . "I can't look at her. Steve Hindi is a former boxer. Albuquerque. Wealthy and poor, black and white, young and old we all have constitutional rights. The jury learned Friday that underneath the mattress on which Tera. Legal Statement. The civil case will proceed as soon as state District Judge Ted Baca sets a date. The former officer, clenching a Rosary, immediately embraced his attorney, David Serna. The Gallup New Deal Art Virtual Museum has received another big boost from the National Endowment fo 'More time for sunshine.' Dash Dash World Controls, Chavez's 911 call to report his wife's death was played in court. Following the verdict, emotional family members of Tera Chavez were quickly escorted out of Sandoval District Court, the result of an edict from state District Judge George Eichwald who sought to ease tensions between the two families. Georgetown University Diploma, << /Lang /MarkInfo << /Marked true >> /Outlines 6 0 R /PageLayout /OneColumn /Pages 5 0 R /StructTreeRoot 9 0 R /Type /Catalog >> The number of how many incidents across Albuquerque is hard to track says Chief Medina. The tawdry details spilled in the trial and the questions it raised about the practices of the Albuquerque Police Department have further tarnished the agency, which is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department over a series of police shootings. Steve Hindi : Public records about cops. He is the city's top ticket-writer and one of the most complained-about cops in town. Serna said he doubted that Chavez would want return to the state's largest police department. Portions of CA home hang over cliff after landslide, 1 killed amid turbulence event on business jet, UNM Hospital wants to know publics feedback. Jones was the lead investigator handling the death of Tera Chavez for the Valencia County Sheriffs Office. >> IT HAS BEEN A VERY LONG TIME. But when Albuquerque Police For non-emergency police calls, call 505-242-COPS 311 COMMUNITY CONTACT CENTER The 311 Community Contact Center is a centralized call center for the City of Albuquerque. Heinrich makes push on daylight Democratic senator from New Mexico partners Democratic senator from New Mexico partners with Republicans to reintroduce legislation in D.C. to make daylight saving time permanent. The defense contends the 26-year-old hair stylist took her own life because she was despondent over the couples failing marriage and Levi Chavezs many extramarital affairs. New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more, By Jeff Proctor / Journal Staff Writer >> SHE STILL HAS A BROTHER THAT LIVES LOCALLY. Dr. Chavez is affiliated with Lovelace Medical Center. 76 0 obj They have also lived in Taos, NM and New York, NY. Levi Chavez is the Husband of Tera, and he was a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The exchange led to several objections from Serna, and eventually a full-blown shouting match between Serna and Keener. Also in court on Friday, jurors heard a heavily redacted recording of the deposition Levi Chavez gave in the civil case. Chavez said he hadnt, and Hall asked whether he knew that cellphone records showed his phone in Los Lunas on Friday Oct. 19. One revelation did, however, come from the deposition: Levi Chavezs story has changed about the last time he was in Los Lunas before he called 911 to report his wifes death. Medina believes in strong customer service in order to create a program based on community policing. Instead, only the audio position of the recording was played in court. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Journal), Tera Chavez's brother Aaron Cordova, left, her parents Theresa and Joseph Cordova, prosecutors Bryan McKay and Anne Keener, along with former Valencia County detective Aaron Jones, arrive at the Sandoval County District Court for the verdict in the murder trial of APD officer Levi Chavez on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Romero described the relationship between Levis family and Teras family as nonexistent., We traveled in different circles, she said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Police believe Carla likely knew her attacker. Prosecutors allege that he killed Tera in the couples Los Lunas home on either Oct. 19, 20 or 21, 2007 and tried to make her death look like a suicide. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. THEY NEVER HAD CLOSURE. And why is it on my car? For non-emergency police calls, call 505-242-COPS. Farmington police still searching for answers in murder case 27 years later, CAN SOLVE THIS CASE. Mary Chavez is 73 years old and was born on 12/22/1947. She had multiple defense wounds, and had put up a fight. Heinrich makes push on daylight Democratic senator from New Mexico partners Democratic senator from New Mexico partners with Republicans to reintroduce legislation in D.C. to make daylight saving time permanent. THEY KNEVER KNEW WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE. Deputies arrest man in attempted robbery that led to Bernalillo County deputies arrested a man Bernalillo County deputies arrested a man in an armed robbery-turned-gunfight that left his alleged accomplice dead last year in Southwest Albuquerque. The city of Albuquerque already has paid Teras family $230,000 to settle claims against itself and APD in the civil case. BERNALILLO, New Mexico The monthlong criminal trial and all its salacious stories of law officer affairs and a blundering investigation are over, but a civil trial looms for a former Albuquerque policeman acquitted of killing his depressed wife with his department-issued gun. Her boss at the time was worried so she went to Carlas house and knocked on her door. According to her testimony, Heather Chavez was in Chicago with her parents the weekend Tera died. Upon returning to Albuquerque, she attended Teras funeral, she testified, as did many other APD officers. << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 902 >> The evidence tampering charge stemmed from prosecutors allegation that Chavez then placed the gun and a shell casing near Teras body to make it appear that she had shot herself. A forensic pathologist testified earlier in the trial that Tera died almost immediately after one shot was fired into her mouth. Their exhibits also included Teras diary and two notes a handwriting expert said she had written which the defense characterized as suicide notes and prosecutors described as evidence that Tera was ready to move on from her relationship with Levi Chavez all of which were found in the couples home. The 311 Community Contact Center is a centralized call center for the City of Albuquerque. She said she passed that information along to her son, who decided to go by the couples home to check on Tera. Heather A Pratt-chavez is a Pediatric Medicine Specialist in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.(KRQE) The attorney general and the Albuquerque Police Department are cracking down on serial shoplifters and organized retail crime. He has pled not guilty. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In total, police have valued the amount of recovered merchandise from all their arrests close to $100,000 from their latest sting this past month. John Chavez, age 35, a devoted and loving father, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020. Under a short cross-examination by McKay, Levi Chavez often grew testy. Chavez enrolled as a student at the University of California at Berkeley, studying writing and literature as part of the program in English literature offered there. So Eichwald ruled that Farrellys testimony would be too prejudicial toward Levi Chavez. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Journal), Levi Chavez, center, leaves the Sandoval County Courthouse on Tuesday, July 16, 2013, after he was found not guilty of murdering his wife Tera Chavez in October 2007 and making it look like a suicide. Contact. The Levi Chavez case wont end with todays verdict. Other names that Heather uses includes Heather Ripley, Heather C Chavez, Heather C Hindi, Heather C Ripley and Heather Hindi. Twenty-four days after the 911 suicide call, which Levi Chavez made around 9 p.m. on Oct, 21, 2007, a text message popped up on his cellphone suggesting that a new marriage wasnt far off. That was the whole thing that made me upset. In the trial's final days, Chavez took the stand and acknowledged having a string of mistresses, searching a website on how to kill someone with martial arts moves, and ignoring his wife's calls for help. The contents of any site or link not maintained by the City does not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of the City of Albuquerque, its officials, agents or employees. In 2011, Medina was promoted to the rank of Commander. More from KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos, What Biden might try next if his student loan forgiveness, Bile acids and gut microbes could potentially treat, Should we bring back the dodo? [1] [2] Levi was initially charged with murdering his wife with his police issued Glock and making it appear as a suicide.