Mexicali Briefs

Men indicted for robberies.

Man indicted for attempted homicide.

Meeting cancelled due to protest.

State reports thousands of tuberculosis cases.

Two men were indicted Thursday for their alleged involvement in separate robbery cases, said the Attorney Generals’ office. Authorities said the first suspect was identified as Francisco “Doe,” 36.

The man allegedly committed a robbery March 3 at the Oxxo store located at Calzada del Desierto Street and Cascada la Balsa Street at fraccionamiento Valle del Puebla neighborhood in southeastern Mexicali.

Witnesses said the suspect arrived at the scene at 1:27 p.m. and asked for cigarettes and a lighter.

The suspect then brandished a knife-like weapon and demanded money. The suspect left the store on a bicycle and was arrested moments later by Mexicali police officers. The other suspect was identified as Josue Alexis “Doe,” 26, who was initially asked to leave the premises of Plaza Cataviña shopping mall by a security guard who saw him standing next to a trash container.

The suspect brandished a screwdriver and took the guard’s cell phone.

The incident was reported on March 20.

The shopping mall is located at Cetys Avenue and Gomez Morin Boulevard.

COURTS Man indicted for attempted homicide

A man was indicted Thursday by a state judge for attempted murder and property damage for igniting a fire that caused damages to a convenience store, said the Attorney General’s office.

Authorities said Francisco “Doe,” 49, was involved in a March 12 arson case reported at the Oxxo store located at Independencia Avenue and Rio Culiacan Street at Colonia Santa Rosalia neighborhood.

The suspect allegedly threw gasoline onto some newspapers he brought to the store. He then ignited some racks, a table and a 36-year-old man who received burns to his arms and face. The victim was helped by his sister and girlfriend.

Police officers arrested the suspect at the scene, the agency said.

The judge decided to keep the suspect behind bars for the remainder of trial and gave detectives three months to close the investigation.

PUBLIC HEALTH State reports thousands of tuberculosis cases

Thousands of new cases of tuberculosis were reported last year in Baja California, said Secretary of Public Health Guillermo Trejo.

The official said 2,057 new cases were reported in 2016, of which 592 are in Mexicali, 1,157 in Tijuana and the rest in other cities.

Trejo said 77.28 percent of those new cases are pulmonary tuberculosis.

Since January 392 new cases have been reported, of which 101 are from Mexicali.

The secretary said tuberculosis is spread through coughing, especially by family members and coworkers.

Tuberculosis studies are free.

The illness is curable but requires a sixmonth treatment, Trejo said. March 24 is the International Day of the Fight Against Tuberculosis.

ASSEMBLY Meeting cancelled due to protest

State lawmakers cancelled Thursday’s meeting due to what officials called an aggressive, violent behavior from protesters.

Assemblymembers were analyzing the declaration to proceed with the National Law of Penal Execution in Baja California when protestors poured into the building.

Protesters began yelling against lawmakers who were unable to listen to each other.

Assembly Speaker Ignacio Garcia called for a recess to dialogue with protesters.

The residents, led by activist Temoc Avila, demanded an explanation about the ongoing construction of a controversial Constellation Brands beer plant south of Mexicali.

Lawmakers recalled the 40-member group that the Assembly requested the city for a temporary suspension and a thorough report about construction and land use permits and licenses.

The report was released recently and the plant construction restarted. Avila kept asking protesters to continue with the demonstration in order to forbid lawmakers from continuing with their meeting.

Members of the legislative Political Coordinating Board voted to move the meeting to April 6.

The session will restart at Tecate’s Cultural Arts Center. The meeting date change was voted 19-3.

— Arturo Bojorquez, abojorquez@ivpressonline.com