Santa Fe, NM –
There has been loud public outcry from New Mexicans regarding two House bills. One was House Bill 134, a bill that would have updated the antiquated juvenile justice code. It would have provided the authority to charge teens as adults for heinous crimes. And then there was House Bill 255, which was approved on the House floor. This bill would provide $2,000 a month cash to teens aging out of the juvenile justice system.
House Bill 255 was sponsored by Reps. Liz Thomson, Moe Maestas, Art De La Cruz, Anita Gonzales, and Linda Lopez. All are from Albuquerque except Anita Gonzales.
In the past few days, the Albuquerque Police Department identified two teens and a pre-teen who have been accused of purposely running over and killing Sandia Laboratory scientist Scott Habermehl while laughing and flashing a gun as Habermehl was on his way to work on his bicycle. The public was provided a 15-second video clip of the teens driving in a car targeting Habermehl. In the video the children can be heard saying “Just bump him, brah.” The driver responded, “Like bump him?” The back passenger repeated, “Yeah, just bump him. Go like…15…20.” Referring to miles per hour they should actually slam into Habermehl.
After this video went viral around the world, the spotlight on New Mexico’s lax juvenile crime laws have become a talking point on national news shows. A few weeks ago, after House Bill 134 was quickly defeated, there was local outrage that committee members Representatives Joanne Ferrary, Angelica Rubio, Andrea Romero, and Liz Thomson voted to kill the measure, effectively ending any hope of updating juvenile crime laws in 2025. There was no desire among top Democrats to revive the bill.
Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham issued a statement after the news of the three teens running down Habermehl, urging lawmakers to revive the juvenile crime bill debate:
“I am horrified by the video footage of this brazen, heartless killing involving three juveniles—ages 11, 13, and 15—who targeted an innocent cyclist. This case is an appalling and heartbreaking reminder of the serious juvenile crime crisis we face in New Mexico––and our lack of tools to properly address it. I extend my deepest condolences to the friends, family and coworkers of the victim, Scott Dwight Habermehl. Such senseless violence could be prevented if we had proper laws in place to detain repeat juvenile offenders and provide appropriate interventions. I am appalled that with less than a week remaining in the legislative session, lawmakers have not passed any substantive legislation to deal with juvenile crime. I call on every New Mexican to contact their legislators immediately and demand that they act with urgency to provide our communities with the tools they need to address juvenile crime. Their refusal to seriously debate these issues during the 60-day legislative session is unacceptable when lives are at stake.”
We sent the Governor’s press office questions asking if she has recently met with Democratic leadership, and whether or not she will call a special session to address this issue. We also inquired as to which bill she would like to see pushed through. At the time of publishing, they have not responded and most likely never ever will.
Additionally, we reached out to Speaker of the House Javier Martinez and Senator Mimi Stewart about them leading the charge to revive the juvenile crime bill. We did not hear back from them either. Rep. Martinez and Senator Stewart have been elected for ten years. The duo holds leadership positions in the Democrat-led House and Senate, where they can make or break laws. These senators appear to be happy doing the minimum to keep their positions of power and influence.
Furthermore, they both live in Albuquerque and have been invited several times by law enforcement and crime victims to witness the effects of violent juvenile crime. It is unclear whether they have actually accepted any of the invitations.
ABQ RAW has attended a lot of press conferences related to crime and juvenile crime by various law agencies and we have not seen the two career politicians attend anything.
The Legislative Session ends on Saturday at noon and it looks pretty grim that any majority leadership will take the charge to make New Mexico safer from out of control juvenile maniacs. We are most likely in for a violent, bloody, and deadly spring and summer.
Second Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman, Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, and Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina have all been outspoken about juvenile crime and how juveniles, in particular, know they can get away with crimes and face no consequences. All have been at the Legislature advocating for changes to the juvenile code. It appears that law enforcements pleas have fell on deaf ears.
It is clear that some legislators are unwilling to listen to the people who elected them, nor are they minutely receptive to our District Attorneys or law enforcement officials who deal with crime on a daily basis. They are mostly missing in action and live in alternate realities.
MIA… shocking, not in Tomorrow land!
@ABQRAW
funny how you submit things and don’t hear back or even plan to hear back. It’s like the emails we send to you all or even the comments that are directed to you all. They never get a response. Maybe it’s karma?
Also the slurs you all use when referring to the people you cover. Why not be objective? People don’t need the “click bait” titles! Those who care because they care not because of the salacious tabloid style headlines.
Food for thought maybe
What are you talking about?! You’re full of it.
Great article! You probably know, as well as I do that they will never change because they know people will vote for them no matter what… And the Governor feigning horror is just a joke.
Exactly!
Liz Thompson has lost my vote in the future.
This is horrifying! You may think it’s ONLY a local issue, but that’s nonsense. I’m contacting Homeland Security. If the Feds don’t get involved this corrupt, psychotic government will continue to get away with murder. Adult crime, leftist activist judges and the emergency homeless situation must be addressed..MLG had no problem invoking her ridiculous emergency order to take our lawful gun rights away 2 years ago. If she really cares she’d invoke an emergency order to put these little psychopaths in their deserved place. I don’t care how old they are. I want a national death penalty for murderers. Age doesn’t matter. Firing squad! Quit wasting money housing and feeding sub-humans. And throw the parents in jail. This state is a Third World Country.
I agree Brooke
I appreciate you too.
I’m contacting the DoJ about the ridiculous Democrats continuing to push DEI policies here & making New Mexico a Sanctuary State, we will get no more federal funding now. Democrats are ruining this state.
I appreciate you too
Thanks for being here and sane. I’m working on the feds too. It’s not as easy as it was in President Trump’s first term, but we must keep after them. New Mexico is the most dangerous state in the country and that’s because we have the most important and corrupt government in the country. Keep fighting the good fight.
Good points again Brooke, I’m fighting too.
Instead of addressing juvenile crime they are set on disarming law abiding citizens. Disgusting, it’s sad that New Mexico is at the bottom of every list except crime. Keep voting the same way and we’ll keep getting the same results. They are chasing business’s away as well as longtime residents.
We are the worst state in education, the worst state for people on Medicaid, the 4th worst state for crime, thanks to the Democrats not passing the malpractice bill we are losing our physicians & take a look at this article. When are Democrat voters going to wake up? They are ruining New Mexico!!!
https://pinonpost.com/report-nm-is-the-only-state-losing-economic-freedom-since-1981/
Remember also that Martin Heinrich voted to keep males in girls sports !! This should end his career
Maryland Marty doesn’t care, he’s never in the state anyway, unless it’s for a photo op.
[…] House Bill 255 was sponsored by Reps. Liz Thomson, Moe Maestas, Art De La Cruz, Anita Gonzales, and Linda Lopez. All are from Albuquerque except Anita Gonzales. More Here […]
This is a tragedy! So these people are elected by the people and the people have no discretion. That’s crazy! I’m pretty sure our forefathers didn’t have this in mind. It doesn’t matter if your right wing far left democrat or republican if they aren’t doing the job of representing the people get them outta there ! Just because your in for a term shouldn’t necessarily mean you can sit on your ass and ignore your responsibility. They should be ashamed of themselves. This is exactly why trump is cutting back government.
Just plain unfathomable – one can only surmise that these legislators have family members that could be impacted by changing the juvenile justice laws in NM. How selfish!
Your an idiot
You voted them in for the last 50 years.
Try demanding accountability.
Here is why you guys suck
5000 city employees = 1 employee to every 100 residents
600 police = 1 officer to every 883 residents.
You voted for this, you have no idea what’s going on in your own city.
We are ranked 42 of 50 for highest employee to resident ratio.
The bottom 20% – which is an F.
Yet you do nothing about it, you say nothing about it. You’re too fucking dumb to understand that this is your fault.
Vote Timmy the talking tumor back into office.
You get what you deserve
Yep, and these same people may be the ones collecting from our Social security illegally. Fraud in SS is unreal, BILLIONS of dollars and these Dems ignore this. Instead they call for violence towards Tesla !!!
And the only reason MLG even says anything is that there is an election coming up and she’d like to think that the Democrats who have done nothing to help and lots to hurt might look better with her “better late than never” statements.
And you’ll vote her and all the others who continue to not care about you back in. You’ll vote the idiot mayor back in – you won’t demand accountability from your city leaders. You did this – 50 years of democrats rule and you complain about what you yourself did.
Here, this is why your fucked
5000 city employees = 1 city worker per 100 residents
600 police = 1 officer for every 883 residents.
I shouldn’t have to explain these things to you being I’m not from here. But someone should because you’re too stupid to get it. Duhhhh
Thank you your continued dedication to reporting the news in an accurate manner. I appreciate your honesty in reporting. This is a breath of fresh air.
“It appears that law enforcements pleas have fell on deaf ears.”
Which is why the “deaf ears” need to be voted out. Starting with Liz Thompson.
Yeah – you voted them all in.
Every time , year after year
50 years of democratic rule – all you do is complain and then vote for the same people over and over again.
It’s scary how stupid you guys all are. It’s like you stabbed yourself with a knife – realized it hurts, then did it again and blamed the knife.
You voted for, will continue to vote for these retards. And then you complain about them.
You can say they are dumb but you voted them in – what does that say about you. Idiot
Governor Lujan Grish was simply grandstanding and like the rest of the lousy Dems, do not give a rats ass about our communities.
You voted her in
And the retard Timmy
And the da
And you’ll vote them all back in again won’t you.
50 years of democrat rule and yo Have no idea why your city is shit
Morons
Such an egotistical arrogant condescending little bastaard. Speak for yourself Smarter than YOU! I voted to oust all judges out and all incumbent dems. Go pump some gas.
LOL, Great response Dave, I agree. I too voted against all incumbent judges and I’m seriously considering buying a new Tesla.
Absolutely right Dave.
Thanks DPG521
The Democrats function like a mafia. They control the levers of power, to include programming the “voting machines “. That’s why these (s) elected officials mentioned thumb their nose at the public. They don’t need you anymore, if they tow the party line they will be re-elected. Lenin said “ it’s not who votes that matters it’s who counts the votes” until election integrity is addressed NM will be under the thumb of the democommies!
Yeah – but you mental patients keep voting them in don’t you.
50 years of democratic rule and you still don’t see the problems.
Let me help, it’s you. You are and dumbass
As usual, they won’t do anything but collect a check!
And yet you idiots will vote them back in again. I’m so tired of hearing you idiot Albuquerque residents complain of crime and do nothing about it.
This is all you – you voted them in.
STOP COMPLAINING. YOU VOTED THEM IN. You voted a DA in who wants to charge people up to 25 as juveniles. He wants to say a 24 year old scumbag who kills you needs a chance to get out and be rehabilitated. This is why the legislature didn’t vote for it. You guys are all idiots and you try to read what the DA is trying to do. He’s trying to lessen crimes and push rehab for offenders – NOT HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. I know of a 24 with (4) first offense DUI. That mean the da dismissed the previous 3 – I have an employee with a dui at 32 and one at 36 – DA charges her with aggravated. The 24 year old – all dismissed as long as she goes to rehab.
Defend that – I dare anyone on here to defend those actions. Would you like to discuss the 8.5 years for shooting at a car with no bodily Injury – of a car who pointed gun at him – and let’s compare the 8 years the DA plead down for someone who drove around for 3 hours and killed and innocent mother in a gas station because her car looked like a car that stole this assholes cell phone. He was 17 – out in (5) years for murder.
Would any of you dipshits like me to define premiditated murder for you ?
– premiditated doesn’t mean plot and plan – it mean you had a choice to actively commit a crime, you had time between the act of committing it and committing it. Driving around for 3 hours is premiditated murder. Under 25 DA pleads it down to manslaughter. Out in 5
This is all you retards: The dumbest people in America live here
You dumbass residents of Albuquerque voted for them. Multiple times too – why are you complaining?
This is the dumbest thing I’ve seen lately. You voted these people into office for the last 20 years and then you complain about the job they do. Duhhhhh
I’m from Albuquerque and I’m not smart.
You shitsticks will vote Timmy the retard back into office. You’ll vote these two back in. Your chief appointed the head of the dwi unit, the head of IA, conducted a 12 month investigation into it – couldn’t figure it out. The fbi did. Real genius group of people aren’t you.
It’s nice being not from here,
You should quit with the name calling of others who post here, we almost all seem to be on the same page. By the way, your handle should be smarter THAN YOU, not smarter then you.
You’re not wrong! When will things get BAD ENOUGH New Mexico?
I’ve been asking that same question Emilywnm. New Mexico is in last place in about every category yet the people continue voting democrat. MLG is the worst Governor New Mexico has ever had yet she got re elected AGAIN. I would hope that a Republican contender steps up in the next election since term limits will remove Grisham’s nam from the ballot finally. Keller needs to go also, along with Heinrich and The ABQ Chief of Police , Medina. This state needs to drain its swamp.
We have a huge problem. Her name is Double DWI Deb. She’s already raised over 2millon in only a few weeks. The Republicans in our beautiful state are impotent. WHO will they run??!!!!! WHO will save this state? WHO?
AMEN!! We can only pray for people to stop being deceived, in my opinion.
Back in the 70s, 80s and 90s New Mexico had conservative representation. Senator Domenici, Governor Caruthers, Congressman Lujan, Senator Skeen, Congresswoman Wilson, Governor Johnson to name a few. What Changed? The greatest generation of WWII Veterans started dying off and were replaced by bleeding heart liberals from out of state. Santa Fe is a perfect example, transplants have taken over Santa Fe peoper forcing local residents to the outskirts of town. Range Rovers and Martini Bars in the Plaza are the new normal for NM. Problem is they bring their liberal ideology and voting habits with them. : (
Gary Johnson for Governor? 🙂
Yes, I’d vote for him but truth be told, I’d vote for anybody over Deb Haaland, the DWI queen of NM
Shame on: Liz Thomson, Moe Maestas, Art De La Cruz, Anita Gonzales, and Linda Lopez for trying to REWARD these juvenile criminals. Trying to give them monthly checks o $2,000 dollars when they get released. Talk about rewarding bad behavior. SHAME ON THEM
You are public servants so do your job and serve your constituents. Pass g to this juvenile reform bill now.