By Kevin Buey
The Deming Headlight
The Village of Columbus is in the process of putting its jailed police chief on leave without pay.
The Columbus Board of Trustees, Mayor Pro-Tem Robert Gutierrez, initiated that action Wednesday night.
“It is going to be done by our legal council, Robert Turner,” said Gutierrez. “There will be a letter. That is something the council has agreed to. It takes a legal process.”
Trustees did approve appointment of Derek Smith as interim chief of the village’s three-member department.
Vega has been jailed since March 10 on a federal indictment charging conspiracy in a firearms smuggling case. He is being held without bail, as are Mayor Eddie Espinoza and Trustee Blas Gutierrez, who are also jailed on that indictment. Blas Gutierrez is Roberto Gutierrez’ son.
Because Vega was appointed by Espinoza and confirmed by trustees, the village is able to act on Vega’s position.
Removing the mayor and a trustee from elected office requires a different path.
“We were just informed of that last night,” Roberto Gutierrez said of the process to follow regarding elected officials when there is no recall option. It requires a petition from the board to district court requesting action.
“Then,” said Trustee William “Bud” Canfield, “it is up to a judge to rule whether we can do it. The judge has to do it.”
The village has not acted on a recommendation from Luna County Sheriff Raymond Cobos that the LCSO assume law enforcement coverage for the village. Cobos has had his office’s schedule reworked so one deputy is now in the area on each of the LCSO’s three 10-hour shifts. The New Mexico State Police, now providing dispatch communication for Columbus, are also available, and the U.S. Border Patrol is in the area.
But, Canfield said last week, village people are split on whether to accept Cobos’ recommendation.
“Some support in town,” Canfield said of Cobos’ proposal. “I’d say more (are) against it.”
Vega, Espinoza and Blas Gutierrez were among 11 people indicted after a federal grand jury returned an 84-count indictment for conspiracy, false statements in acquisition of firearms and aiding and abetting and smuggling goods from the U.S.
The Columbus’ Trustees next scheduled meeting is Wednesday, April 13.
Copyright 2011 Deming Headlight, a MediaNews Group Newspaper