LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - After a week of searching, a teen who allegedly stole ammunition from a sporting goods store and led law enforcement on a car chase is arrested.

On Monday, May 13, 2024, Laredo Police were able to identify one of the suspects as a 16-year-old man and arrest him at the United South High School ninth grade campus.

The incident was reported on Monday, May 6, at around 7 p.m. after authorities received a call about a theft of ammunition at the Academy store located on San Bernardo Avenue.

According to police, a state trooper helped them track down a black SUV that the suspects were last seen to be driving.

The vehicle was seen traveling on Loop 20 near the City Hall Annex building.

When a trooper tried to pull the SUV over, the driver refused and continued driving and eventually stopped near Cuatro Vientos Drive and Los Presidentes Avenue.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), three men jumped out of the SUV and ran into the bushes.

DPS Troopers say that one of the men was seen carrying a long rifle, but he threw it away while running.

The 16-year-old is believed to be one of the suspects tied to the case.

He was charged with theft, evading arrest and was taken to the Webb County Youth Village.

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - A 44-year-old man is fighting for his life after being stabbed over the weekend.

The incident happened on Saturday before 10 a.m. near the 15000 block of Highway 83.

According to the Webb County Sheriff’s Office, when officials arrived, they found, the man with stab wounds to his neck and abdomen.

He was taken to Doctors Hospital for an emergency surgery.

Officials say, the suspect, Luis Santos, 47, ran away and remains on the run from the law.

The case remains under investigation.

LAREDO, TX (KGNS) - If you own a home or property – back in April, you probably got one of these little envelopes in the mail. It’s this year’s property appraisal value. So, do you know how to read it? How the value is set? How to protest if you don’t agree with it? Well, get ready to brew up some property appraisal wisdom in this week’s Morning Brew podcast. My guest, Bobby Peregoy, Webb County Chief Appraiser, is spilling the eans on the values that just landed in your mailbox. So, grab your cup of coffee and tune in for a blend of insights and brew-tiful unfiltered chat. Enjoy the Brew! 

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - While summer doesn’t officially start until June 20, Thursday’s temperatures reached nearly a high of 110.

On that same day, some residents of the Hamilton Apartments, a senior living building reported that it was experiencing issues with their air conditioning.

Residents say the heat inside the building has been unbearable to live through.

A resident who lives at the center said that they took three elderly people who were dehydrated from the intense heat.

“There were people that had to go outside on the sidewalks because inside it was terribly hot, and right now they’re putting some big fans but like no,” said the resident.

The Hamilton resident states that the fans, while appreciated did not alleviate the situation as the heat grew more intense throughout the day.

The City of Laredo stated on Wednesday that the main cooling system within the Hamilton Apartments had to be shut down to fix a water leak.

Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino visited the apartment on the same day the issue was brought to his attention and spoke with the residents and assessed the situation.

Portable fans and repairmen had been sent in to address the concerns.

On Friday morning, residents reported that air conditioning had been restored on certain floors. Later that day, the city reported that the air conditioning had been restored to all of the apartments.

Residents reported that while the maintenance of the building had improved since the city took ownership of Hamilton Apartments, air conditioning remained an issue.

With high temperatures approaching, people who live at the Hamilton Apartments hope the issues can be resolved permanently.

Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino stated that the quality of life of the elderly is a priority to him and that he will be fixing the issues at the Hamilton Apartments soon.

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - Laredo Police are releasing more information on how they were able to locate and arrest the person allegedly responsible for a deadly hit and run crash that took place on Sunday, May 5.

On Thursday, May 9, 2024, Ernesto Cortes Rios was arrested in connection to the death of Maribel Zavala, 44, who was on her wheelchair when she was hit by a car.

Zavala later succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital.

For days, authorities continued to investigate the case and check surveillance footage that can be used.

Eventually, police were able to post pictures of the vehicle they believed was involved in the crash.

In the end, police were able to track down the alleged driver.

“They painfully went literally  block to block, and having also the luck of finding recordings that were able to kind of zero in on the location,” said Investigator Joe Baeza. “The investigators and the officers involved in this case of the investigation were basically outside of this guy’s house and despite the fact that the vehicle had already been taken to Mexico.”

Police say Rios allegedly confessed to driving the vehicle.

He was charged with an accident involving death.

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - Two people linked to Congressman Henry Cuellar plead guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to the court documents, the two individuals names are Mina Colin Strother and Florencio “Lencho” Rendon.

Strother is a Buda, Texas resident who operates a political consulting company called Strother & Company.

The document states he was the campaign manager and former chief of staff for a person named “Co-conspirator 1.”

Meanwhile, Rendon is a San Antonio businessman who served as chief of staff to a member of Congress for 24 and a half years.

Although Cuellar and his wife Imelda are not named in the Rendon and Strother plea deals, the case numbers for both Rendon and Strother are part of the original indictment connected to Cuellar.

In the plea agreements unsealed this week against Rendon and Strother, both agree to plead guilty to conspire to launder more than $200,000.

This comes after a federal indictment unsealed last Friday accused Henry Cuellar and his wife of collecting $600,000 from a Mexico City bank and Azerbaijan government officials between 2014 and 2021.

Both Strother and Rendon are described in the documents as playing “middlemen” roles in funneling the money to two individuals named in the document as co-conspirator 1 and co-conspirator 2.

The money is described in the document as payment for alleged consulting.

The unsealed documents also detail how the scheme developed.

The documents allege in 2015, Rendon and co-conspirator 1, agreed to enter into a consulting contract with a bank in Mexico City that was having trouble finding a bank in the U.S. to do business with.

In exchange for help, the bank would pay a retainer fee of $15,000 a month.

A portion of that money would go to Rendon, a portion to Strother and the remaining amount to co-conspirator one and co-conspirator two through Strother’s consulting business.

For Rendon’s part, the amount allegedly accepted from the Mexico City Bank and the Azerbaijan Government totals $261,000.

For Strother’s part, the amount of money allegedly accepted for his role in the scheme totals a little more than $24,500.

According to the plea deal, both Rendon and Strother allegedly understood that payments they received for services provided were coming from a project that was a “Sham.”

The sentencing for both men are set for July 25 in Houston, Texas.

You can view both Rendon and Strother’s plea agreements below:

LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) - According to the InstitutesofHealth.org, more than 80 percent of first responders experience trauma while on the job and roughly one in three of them develop PTSD.

In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Laredo Fire and Police Department are reminding our local heroes about the importance of managing stress and anxiety.

The job of a firefighter and or police officer can come with the burden of being exposed to deadly crashes, house fires, shootings, and other traumatic events.

While mental health is important in all jobs, Laredo Fire Department Captain Yosh Wong said these types of scenarios can have a heavy impact on person’s well-being.

“The worst experience is loss; obviously, you lose one of your crew members, if you lose a family member, you see someone of a very young age, somebody that reminds you of a family member, those things can be very hard to deal with,” said Captain Wong. “I’ve been to several calls that have high emotional impact, especially with young babies and young children, nobody wants to see that. It can be very emotionally draining.”

Officials say it’s important to have healthy outlets outside of work that allow firefighters and officers to release their anxiety such as exercising or communicating with a family member.

Here in Laredo, both the fire and police department have access to a 24-hour psychological professional in case an official is experiencing a mental health emergency.

Laredo Police say that if you are experiencing a mental health crisis, you should never be afraid to reach out for help.

If you are in need of help call 988 lifeline.