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Posted: 3:24 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012
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By Samantha Manning and Lauren Rozyla
SUNLAND PARK, N.M. —
New Mexico State Police are looking for two additional people in connection with an extortion investigation originating in Sunland Park.
Arrest warrants have been issued in the state of New Mexico for Martah Alondra Lozano, former temporary human resources assistant for the city of Sunland Park, and Dario Hernandez, the Sunland Park City Works Director, according to the Dona Ana County District Attorney's Office.
Currently, the Dona Ana County District Attorney's office is coordinating with authorities in El Paso to bring Lozano and Hernandez into custody. Reportedly, both Lozano and Hernandez live in El Paso, Texas, so New Mexico authorities are not able to bring either in without the help of Texas authorities.
On Monday, paperwork is expected to be filed in district court in Las Cruces, allowing cross-state warrants to be issued.
Hernandez is aware of his arrest warrant for New Mexico, according to Steven Blankenship, a prosecutor for the Dona Ana County District Attorney's Office. He said Hernandez is Juarez, Mexico. Hernandez has told authorities he may or may not turn himself in, Blankenship said.
Blankenship said authorities are waiting for Hernandez to come back into the United States.
Authorities have not been able to make contact with Lozano. They are not sure if she is aware of the warrant issued for her arrest. KFOX14 also put in a call to Lozano's cell phone number, and it went directly to voicemail.
According to an arrest warrant issued for Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Salinas, Lozano allegedly locked the door to Salinas' office, stealing one or more computers when authorities began conducting a raid of Sunland Park City Hall on February 21, 2012.
The warrant states authorities heard Hernandez speaking with City Manager Jaime Aguilera on surveillance camera, saying, "They are coming. Get rid of the video." Hernandez was allegedly referring to law enforcement approaching Sunland Park City Hall, just prior to the raid.
Sunland Park Mayor pro tem Daniel Salinas and City Manager Jaime Aguilera were both arrested Saturday evening as part of an ongoing investigation into Sunland Park city government, Dona Ana County District Attorney Amy Orlando confirmed.
Both men were arrested on extortion charges, a criminal complaint reports. Aguilera and Salinas allegedly conspired to get another mayoral candidate, Gerardo Hernandez, to drop out of the race after the release of a sex tape, showing Hernandez with a topless woman.
Salinas is facing charges of extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion, tampering with evidence, where the highest crime is a third or fourth degree felony, and conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence.
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