Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 3

ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL Sunday, April 23, 1995 A3 METROPOLITAN NEW MEXICO Francia Slaying Suspect Released ns Li 1 Bernalillo County sheriff's deputies escort Rogelio Cano-Alvarez, left, and Victor Rodriguez to the Bernalillo County Detention Center on Saturday afternoon. The two are being held in connection with a fatal shooting early Saturday at the Latino Club in the county's South Valley. ALEXANDRIA KINGJOURNAL Murder Charges Could Be Refiled Later THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. A judge has dismissed the murder charges against a Winslow woman in the 1994 slaying of a New Mexico teenager whose body was found in the trunk of a burned-out car. Trena Richardson, also known as Trena Yellowhair, cried and hugged her defense team Friday after Judge Fred Newton of Coconino County Superior Court dismissed the charges without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled.

Richardson was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, theft and hindering prosecution in the Jan. 12, 1994, disappearance of Jonathan Francia, 16, who was abducted from the parking lot of an Albuquerque restaurant. His body was found five days later in his mother's car on the Navajo Reservation near Dilcon, Ariz. The Francia family could not be reached for comment Saturday. Richardson's husband, Paul Daniel Richardson, 27, was arrested Feb.

2, 1994, and told the FBI he had killed Francia. He hanged himself in the Coconino County Jail two days later and died on Feb. 11. Trena Richardson has denied seeing Francia alive. Trial had been set for May 16.

Camille Bibles, chief deputy Coconino County attorney, said that dismissal of the charges was requested because of recent court rulings and the fact that a third suspect, known only as Jason, hasn't been found. The prosecution believes that Jason is dead. Francia: Slain Richardson: teen from Charges Albuquerque dismissed The setbacks to which Bibles referred include court decisions that about two-thirds of the prosecution's interviews with Trena Richardson couldn't be used as evidence. The court also ruled recently that a conversation Richardson had with his parents that implicated his wife was also inadmissible. "When I reviewed the case with the Sheriffs Department and with the Francia family, the decision was made that they would prefer to let her go to Navajo County, where she is facing up to 20 years in prison, and not run the risk of proceeding without the Jason evidence," Bibles said.

Trena Richardson faces up to 10 years in prison on two prior marijuana convictions in Navajo County, for which the sentences could be made consecutive. Bibles said she wants Trena Richardson jailed because "I think she's very selfish and very dangerous." Conrad Baran, Trena Richardson's court-appointed attorney, disagreed. "She wouldn't hurt a rabbit," he said before the hearing. After dismissal of the charges, Baran said that "I don't think this case is going to be brought again anywhere, anytime." Pair Held in Killing at South Valley Club Man Shot Trying To Halt Gunfire JOURNAL STAFF REPORT The Latino Club in Bernalillo County's South Valley was packed with patrons when several shots were fired early Saturday. One of the bullets took the life of a man who was apparently trying to stop the gunfire, according to a spokes woman for the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office.

Victor Rodriguez, 35, of Albuquerque was being held without bond in the Bernalillo County Detention Center on Saturday on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting. A second suspect, Rogelio Cano-Alvarez, 28, also of Albuquerque, was being held on a $5,000 bond on charges of harboring and aiding a fugitive and tampering with evi dence. The victim, a 31-year-old Hispanic male whose name is being withheld until family members are notified, was shot to death at the bar at 429 Isleta SW shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday. Witnesses told deputies that a patron had fired several random shots Saturday when the victim stepped in and tried to stop the shooter.

"Unfortunately, he was shot in the throat," said Ronnie Sparks, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. The victim was found dead at the scene by emergency crews, she said. Deputies pulled over a maroon vehicle matching the description of the suspects' car at Isleta and Valverde soon after the shooting. Inside, a 9 mm handgun, believed to be the murder weapon, was found on the floor, Sparks said. DIGEST Weather Chills Celebrations v.

i 1 wind and snow that canceled an Earth Day celebration near Cedar Crest and put a damper on a Founders' Day parade and celebration in Old Town. "It only stopped snowing 10 minutes before the parade," said Joseph Wasson, an event coordinator for the city of Albuquerque, which sponsored the Founders' Day. "But I think people enjoyed it." Despite the conditions, the parade went off with about 40 entrants, including Brosius' Pennridge High School marching band, which brought 116 members to City's Founders' Day Still Called Enjoyable J0URNAL REPORT The weather was so bad in Albuquerque on Saturday that Bill Bro-sius found himself thinking longingly of his home. Home being Perkasie, Penn. "Back there, it's 75 to 80 degrees right now," he said.

"The weather here is like it is in Pennsylvania in March or February." Albuquerque grimaced in the face of an ugly morning a blast of rain, "We're still enjoying the city," said Brosius, whose band helped entertain a few hundred spectators at Tiguex Park during the Founders' Day celebration, which continues today. Forecasters expect improvement today as a storm system moves out of the Southwest. Albuquerque's high should reach 60, with a low tonight of 38. "This is the very tail end of the system," said meteorologist Tom Cate of WeatherData which provides weather information to the Journal. "By Monday, it should be mostly sunny and a bit breezy." 6" ALEXANDRIA KING JOURNAL The "Wise Fool Puppet Intervention" group visited Tiguex Park on Saturday for Founders' Day.

Yomeirs Dresses Women's Shorts WtkmK lies "lie Separates children 's Sli in From Journal staff and wire reports Eccleston a Star On 'Most Wanted' Show The crime show "America's Most Wanted" featured local fugitive Sebastian Eccleston on Saturday, and authorities hope the resulting tips will lead to the slaying sus- pect's arrest. i Since 19-year-old Eccleston escaped from the Bernalillo County Detention Center last month, a state fugitive task force has hunted for him in the East Mountain area and in southern New Mexico near the Mexico border. Authorities have said they suspect Eccleston is hiding out in Bernalillo County. Eccleston is charged in the Dec. 13 slaying of Rickey Comingo.

He was being held in jail when he escaped March 27 or 28 with cell- mate Daniel Mitchem. The two broke out of jail with tools they found in a mechanical area of the' 'jail. Mitchem was captured in Moriar-ty a few days after the escape. "America's Most Wanted" tips have led to 358 arrests. If anyone has information that could aid in Eccleston's arrest, they can call the show's hot line at 1-800-CRIME-TV.

Gov. May Not Get AG Help on Lawsuit Gov. Gary Johnson said Saturday that he hoped the Attorney General's Office would represent his administration in a lawsuit challenging gambling compacts with New Mexico Indian tribes. However, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Tom Udall said Saturday that it's unlikely the office would defend the Johnson administration in the gambling case before the state Supreme Court. "I don't think it's likely that we are going to defend compacts about which we advised the governor and he disregarded our advice," Kay Roybal, a spokeswoman for Udall, said in a telephone interview.

Johnson, speaking at a luncheon meeting of state newspaper editors, said he preferred that Udall's office handle the gambling lawsuit rather than the governor's office hiring a special lawyer to defend the gambling agreements that he signed with 14 Indian tribes. Last week, two legislators and the leader of an anti-gambling coalition filed the lawsuit and asked the Supreme Court to invalidate the tribal-state gambling compacts. Roybal said she expected Udall and the governor's office to meet soon to talk about the attorney general's role in the gambling lawsuit. 1 iP-TTvomev accessories Umerie Wo ill Mr en fs Shoe Mges geries Beddin 4SSCifIas Men's Shorts ren Shoes Boy's Tops Bo Bedrid pv'aoifsJIoDs Wc Jf Coronado Mall 883-5800 1.