New Mexico is making national headlines for two harrowing incidents — both underscoring deep concerns over public safety and state oversight. Reports from Blaze Media and the New York Post detail the tragic death of an 18-month-old girl with prior involvement in the state’s Children, Youth & Families Department (CYFD), and the chilling murder of an Uber driver by a teenager who allegedly killed “to let off some steam.”
The first case involves Vanessa Chavez, who has been charged with child abuse resulting in death after her toddler was found unresponsive in Albuquerque and died despite 20 minutes of CPR. The child’s death is the sixth in just four months connected to CYFD cases, according to KOB-TV. The girl had been removed from Chavez at birth after being born drug-exposed, only to be returned to her parents for a trial reunification shortly before her death.
Maralyn Beck, founder of the New Mexico Child First Network, placed direct blame on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and CYFD. “Every single one of these deaths was preventable,” Beck said, adding, “This is on the governor. There is blood on the governor at this point.” She argued that in a “functioning system,” one call to child protective services should save a child’s life.
In response, Gov. Lujan Grisham acknowledged CYFD’s persistent issues, saying, “You’re chasing your tail, and we’ve been chasing our tail for decades.” She promised, “We’re gonna make some damn important progress” in her remaining 18 months in office. A statement from her office said she is “working diligently to address flaws in the system,” citing a recent overhaul for protecting babies born to drug-addicted parents. CYFD also confirmed that two of Chavez’s three children had been in state custody and said all parties, including social workers and the presiding judge, agreed to end the abuse and neglect case in June after the parents complied with a reunification plan.
While the state grapples with systemic child welfare failures, Albuquerque was rocked by another national headline — the murder of Uber driver Joseph Andrus, allegedly at the hands of 18-year-old Sheliky Sanchez. According to the New York Post, Sanchez’s girlfriend ordered him an Uber around 1 a.m., but Andrus was found dead just hours later, shot execution-style on the side of the road. His black Ford Escape was missing until authorities found it at Sanchez’s girlfriend’s home.
Initially, Sanchez told police he bought the car with cash and had no idea it belonged to the victim. But investigators said he eventually confessed to targeting a stranger to “take [his stress] out on anybody he could find.” Sanchez admitted he chose a random drop-off location, ordered Andrus out of the vehicle, and shot him several times — later remarking, “He seemed like a good guy… I don’t really go for good people,” but that killing him felt like “a relief.”
Sanchez is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center on charges of murder, armed robbery, and tampering with evidence. This story was also picked up by The Indepdendent, among other national outlets.
With both cases drawing national attention, New Mexico is once again confronting questions about its ability to protect the vulnerable — from children in state care to citizens simply trying to make a living.
She do t give a damn about any NM people only illegales and THATS WRONG.SHE WILL NEVER ADMIT SHES WRONG. SHES A COWARD
a few months ago MLG lost a lawsuit. i dont recall what the lawsuit was about. one of her orders that was found to be a no go or something like that. as part of the settlement, it was agreed that she would NOT SAY THAT SHE WAS WRONG, she would not admit fault. thats the kind of person this self centered low life is.
Come on New Mexico wake up.
Depraved minds, all of them including MLG
Under MLG, New Mexico is no place for a child to survive—before or after birth.
We left. Texas feels so normal after NM.
Seems to me she has had 8yrs to fix this problem. She is so busy lusting for a job in Washington she can’t do her job here. Why don’t YOU/ New Mexico wake up??!!! We are ranked at 25 on education, 3rd for violent crimes and number 50 in the list of states to live in!!!!! Isn’t it time to at least try a change? Where are our REPUBLICANS?? It couldn’t possibly get any worse with them. It seems a change and it could go up. It certainly can’t get worse!!!
I mean seriously #50 for states to live in?!
I see small towns getting smaller and practically ghost towns. The state will be a ghost state all together if MAJOR changes don’t happen.
MLG and her minions in her little fiefdom have turned NM into a garbage landfill. Their only interest is money for them and illegals. Children die either before or after birth or in CYFD ‘care’ and nothing is done to prevent further deaths or issues. Children are released to ‘parents’ that turn around and kill the child. That happens over and over again. Children are throw away ‘objects’ here in NM The guy who shot the Uber driver is a nut case. People like him run loose in NM and nothing is done to prevent crime. It’s all talk with MLG and her cronies and no solutions. Garbage for government ‘leaders’. Trash and filth.
https://nmeducation.org/new-mexico-50th-in-education-again/
50th in Education, 48th in economic well-being, 44th in health, 49th in family and community. Is this where the “New Mexico True” statement comes from? True to be first, or almost first being last.
Hey folks let’s all help to make a difference. NM is full of conservatives, it is part of hispanic culture. If we can explain to the mis-informed that vote democrat because their parents did that the democrat party is not the party of their parents. We need to explain how most of the Republican Party is made up of people that want less government control, want control of their own kids and do not want the schools brain washing our kids that they are in the wrong bodies, conservative want people punished for killing, raping, mugging, stealing, not let off with a warning to recommit. Mot of NM does not believe in killing babies, but NM is one of the top states that kill babies, why? Last, most NMs that came from other countries in the last 100 years came legacy, they did not get on the welfare rolls and stay on it for generations. NM is a conservative state so lets remind people who they are and get the socialist democrats out of our state house.
That witch MLG has the nerve to criticize the president while she destroys New Mexico! She is a disgusting pig along with Tiny Tim. They care more about illegals than American citizens! Get her the f*ck out already!!! How are we allowing this as Americans??? Shame on us for continuing to let these evil bastards be in office. I hope they burn in hell for all the atrocities and damage they’ve done to us and New Mexico!!!
Commenter Mike, I have tried to explain to my liberal friends. They give me a blank stare and are silent when I explain anything other than the democrat way. they revert to talking points no matter what the subject is. What i have come to understand is that the democrats of NM dont want it to get any better here. They are happy being last in everything. so long as you identify as democrat you are one of the mob and a victim because of someone else, not your own shortcomings. NM will never change in our lifetimes because the people here dont want to learn, they dont want to change, they dont want to advance. Manana as they say, tomorrow. tomorrow never comes here.
Keep it classy Albuquerque.
I am not hispanic but being a citizen of new mexico I live and work with the majority culture. By and large they, as a whole, are very American in the fullest sense, they are very hard working in all occupations, they are very family oriented and respect life at every stage, they have highexpectations of their schools and teachers They value freedom, independence and self determination. The current evolved “Democratic” party is the antithesis of this and their ideology, methodology is geared to advance the tenets of Marx , Engels, Saul Alinsky et al. The media and our 7 universities conspire and collude to mask their devious schemata. The task of all well meaning opposition to the “Democratic” party and its ruling hegemony is to find ways to change the attitudes that many feel so victimized, so oppressed, and so held back that they continue to vote for these slavemasters year after year, decade after decade, and now going into a second century.
When the time comes, let’s vote ‘em OUT! Tell everyone you know sooner than later as elections are coming! Past post election data shows how we close we are. We surely can succeed if you and l make that little bit of effort to vote. Talk to neighbors and friends. Talk at stores, churches, restaurants, and wherever you’re comfortable passing the word. Every single vote matters SO MUCH!
Come on Trump.. bring your arsenal and get rid of all the disgusting rhetoric that the democrats bring to this beautiful and rich in resources State..
We are going to have more of the same if the voters don’t wake up.
There has been no substantial growth to our state except for the drug cartel, illegal immigration that Biden sponsored and the homeless people that come from all parts of the country because they know who our leaders are.
We are a state of dead brain leaders whose goals are insane and have no merit towards improving our cities.
The Kellers, the Mimi’s the MLG must be gone asap before NM self implodes.