Bernalillo probation violator charged

—JOHN PAUL TRUJILLO, SHERIFF, SANDOVAL COUNTY
On Sunday, June 18, at 8:55 a.m. the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Bernalillo Police Department of a gunshot victim at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Bernalillo Police were originally notified and upon discovering that the incident occurred outside their jurisdiction they contacted the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies learned that a nineteen-year-old male victim, identified as a resident of Bernalillo, had been beaten with a pistol and then shot in the left elbow. Deputies were advised that the victim was going into surgery and didn’t appear to have life-threatening injuries.

The location of the incident was found to be in Bernalillo. An eyewitness and the victim identified the suspect to also be from Bernalillo.

The suspect had fled the scene and his whereabouts were unknown until he was arrested in Albuquerque on a probation violation. Sandoval County deputies obtained an arrest warrant on the charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, tampering with evidence, and intimidation of a witness. The suspect will be transferred from the Metro Detention Center, in Albuquerque, and incarcerated in the Sandoval County Detention Center.

Law workshop will address immigration issues

There will be a free public workshop on the topic of immigration in Albuquerque on Wednesday, August 9, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the State Bar of New Mexico, 5121 Masthead NE, Albuquerque.

The workshop includes a presentation by volunteer attorneys Mary Ann Romero and Alison John Lawitt, an open question-and-answer period, and a free one-on-one consultation with an attorney. There will be two separate presentations, one in English and one in Spanish. This event is open to the public and free of charge, as a community service. Call 1-800-876-6227 or 505-797-6047 for details.

The State Bar of New Mexico and the New Mexico Civil Legal Services Commission sponsor this program to help educate the public on important legal issues and the resources available to meet their legal needs.

AG Madrid releases new Identity Theft Repair Instruction Guide

New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid today joined with New Mexico Veterans Services Department Cabinet Secretary John Garcia to introduce her office’s new Identity Theft Repair Kit.

Attorney General Madrid said, “Now that the federal Veterans Administration has released information about the theft which occurred in that agency, vets should be especially concerned about identity theft. This is an unbelievably irresponsible way to treat the men and women who have given so much for our country and I want to help protect them from identity theft. My new Identity Theft Repair Kit is designed to be a valuable tool to help all consumers recognize, repair and recover from identity theft.”

Veterans Services Department Cabinet Secretary John Garcia said, “We want to assure New Mexico veterans that their information is secure and protected within the New Mexico Veterans Services Office. The Veterans office in New Mexico is taking the lead in our partnership with the Attorney General’s Office to make sure New Mexico veterans know how protect themselves from identity theft as a result of the VA’s information compromise. We are concerned and we care about New Mexico’s vets and that’s why Attorney General Madrid’s Identity Theft Repair Kit will be available at all of the 18 Veterans Services offices around the state.”

“Everyone should be aware of the damage that identity theft can do to a person’s credit. It’s not just an inconvenience; ID theft can prevent you from purchasing a house, getting insurance, buying a car, and can even get you arrested for a crime you didn’t commit. Because so many recent incidents have involved large companies or organizations compromising consumers’ personal information, I want to issue this sobering caution: it may not be a matter of if your identity will be stolen, it may actually be a matter of when,” said Madrid.

Madrid urges all veterans to immediately follow these steps to protect their identity:

• Contact one of the three major credit bureaus and put a fraud alert on their credit report;
• Order a copy of your credit report and check it for unfamiliar or unauthorized accounts opened in your name. Every American is entitled to one free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus by going to www.annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228 (TDD 1-877-730-4104) or by writing to Annual Credit Report Request Service, PO Box 105283, Atlanta, GA 30348-5283;
• Immediately check your bank statements, credit card statements and other financial statements for unauthorized use.

Madrid also advises veterans to be vigilant in checking billing statements and credit reports on a regular basis for any unauthorized activity. In cases of identity theft, the information may not be used immediately, but can remain dormant until the ID thieves decide it is “safe” to use. “With the amount of information that was stolen from the VA’s records, it’s best to remain observant to what’s going on with your personal information for an indefinite period of time,” said Madrid.

In May, the Veterans Administration announced that an employee had violated policies by taking home a hard drive containing the personal data of millions of veterans and active duty military personnel. During a burglary of the employee’s house, the hard drive and a computer were taken, putting the personal information of 26.5 million veterans at risk for identity theft.

In addition to the Veterans Administration, other high-profile information compromises have been reported at the National Nuclear Security Administration office at Kirtland Air Force Base, the travel website Hotels.com, mortgage lender Wells Fargo, and the consumer database managed by ChoicePoint.

Attorney General Madrid’s new Identity Theft Repair Kit is a handbook that guides consumers step by step through the process of repairing their credit after an incident of ID theft. The Kit is available free through the Attorney General’s Office in Albuquerque by calling (505) 222-9000. The booklet can also be picked up at the offices of the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services around New Mexico. It can also be downloaded from the Attorney General’s Web site at: www.ago.state.nm.us.

If veterans have concerns about the VA’s information compromise, they should contact the New Mexico Veterans Services Department at 1-866-433-8387 or 827-6300 in Santa Fe. Veterans may also contact a special 24-hour hotline set up by the VA at 800-333-4636.