Wednesday, 13 May 2009 14:01

Santa Fe, NM – In June, the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office ruled that Marino Leyba will only be tried for two counts of murder, rather than three. Although Leyba was initially indicted for one count of criminal abortion along with two counts of murder for killing his pregnant girlfriend, Sarah Lovato, and her father, the DA’s office has had a change of heart. "There are specific legal reasons why (criminal abortion) is not an appropriate charge to go forward on," District Attorney Angela Pacheco explained. The main reason, she said, is that the statute deals with the death of the mother, which could interfere with the prosecution of the murder charge for Lovato, 17, and, thus, constitute double jeopardy. However, Santa Fe police Capt. Gary Johnson and Detective Tony Trujillo have said they believe Leyba targeted the fetus when he shot Sarah Lovato.
(See: http://domesticviolencenews.blogspot.com/2009/07/everyone-knew.html)

New York, NY – The body of Eridania Rodriguez, a Manhattan cleaning woman who disappeared during her work shift on July 7, has been found in the air conditioning duct at her workplace. The building’s elevator operator, Joseph Pabon, has been arrested on charges of second-degree murder. Rodriguez wasa 46-year-old mother of three who won the green card lottery and emigrated from the Dominican Republic in 1987. The case has shed new light on the plight of cleaning personnel in New York City highrises, many of whom work after hours and in isolation.
(See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/20/nyregion/20cleaner.html)

Phoenix, AZ – A local car wash has raised $1,500 to assist the children of Sabrina Alcantar. Authorities said Alcantar's estranged husband, Manuel Alcantar, slashed her throat, then left her body in the middle of the street in the afternoon of June 3. Several days later, Alcantar himself was later found dead, hanging from a highway overpass in an apparent suicide.
(See: http://www.yourwestvalley.com/news/community-6691-carwash-family.html)