Suspected burglar arrested

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department on Friday arrested a man they say has committed several property crimes in recent years.

David M. Wheeler Jr., 20, 539 W. San Francisco St., was arrested Friday and served an outstanding warrant charging him with burglary, larceny and criminal damage to property. What details led to a judge issuing Wheeler's warrant were unclear Friday afternoon.

An online database for Santa Fe County jail shows Wheeler has been arrested five times since April 8, 2010, on charges that include shoplifting, resisting/obstructing an officer and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, among others.

Wheeler is being held in the county jail in lieu of a $10,000 cash-only bond.

Railyard demo project gets partial OK

The city Business Capitol District/Design Review Committee has agreed to let the Santa Fe Railyard Community Corp. tear down one building in the Baca Street portion of the Railyard, but denied it permission to demolish three others.

The committee's approval on Thursday night applies to the former Mexico Lindo building, 1221 Cerrillos Road. Richard Czoski, executive director of the corporation, said the building had asbestos problems and was considered too dilapidated to repair.

City Council permission still is needed before the demolition can occur. The corporation will then look into leasing the vacant lot to another business, Czoski said.

The committee rejected the corporation's proposal to tear down three other buildings -- the office and two warehouses for a former business called Monte Vista Fuel and Feed at 922 Shoofly Street. Czoski said that means the corporation will need to look into leasing these old buildings as they are.

Suazo bows out of PRC race

Martin A. Suazo, a Las Vegas, N.M., businessman and longtime Democratic Party official, said Friday that he's no longer in the race for the District 3 Public Regulation Commission seat.

Suazo said the commission district map recently approved by former state District Judge Jim Hall puts Las Vegas outside District 3.

He said in a news release that he was "shocked by the actions of the court" and contended "San Miguel County has been a cornerstone of the Democratic Party for years, to gerrymander us out of District 3 is a clear and blatant violation of the Voter Rights Act of 1965 ... "

Suazo said he is considering a federal lawsuit.