WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008
STATE LAREDO MORNING TIMES | 7A
Killer Odessa graduate, 58, moves on to her next goal
By VERONICA SANDATE continues for Melendez, but the real story is (in Odessa) ‘cause she didn’t know English.” “She just started school and kept going,
facing ODESSAAMERICAN
ODESSA — Irene Melendez’s journey
won’t end with a graduation ceremony.
In fact, now that the 58-year-old has re-
where her journey began.
About 10 years ago Melendez couldn’t
imagine the road her life was about to take.
The Odessan couldn’t speak English and
had spent most of her life working for her
In El Paso, Melendez started taking
classes to learn English and get her GED.
“She came back, and she lived with me
for a while, and that’s when she started hit-
ting the books,” Espinoza said.
going, going,” Espinoza said.
Espinoza said her mother never asked
about grant and scholarship money to help
with tuition.
“I would tell her, ‘Mom, I think there’s
death ceived her sociology degree from the Uni-
versity of Texas of the Permian Basin, the
next chapter of her life will begin.
The way Melendez sees it, she still has
lots of work to do.
ex-husband.
When his business fell apart, he and
Melendez divorced, and she soon found her-
self left with nothing.
“All my mom knew was what my dad
Melendez enrolled at Odessa College in
2001. The college courses proved to be
somewhat difficult for Melendez. “English
was my second language, it was hard,” Me-
lendez said.
grants,’ ” Espinoza said.
Melendez’s daughter was too busy with
her family and school to really talk to her
mom about paying for college.
“At Odessa College, I stayed many years
ASSOCIATED PRESS “I’m interested in alcohol awareness,” had taught her in his office,” Claudia Es- The grandmother of five took her time because I worked full-time,” Melendez said.
Melendez said. “I hope to get my state board pinoza said. “My mom had to move back with school, taking an average of two class- “I paid it out of my pocket. I didn’t know
ATHENS — A man convicted of license, I hope I achieve it.” So the voyage home in El Paso. She couldn’t find any work es a semester. about grants.”
killing an East Texas deputy in a
shootout that claimed two law en-
forcement officers was sentenced
to death Tuesday.
Randall Wayne Mays, 48, was
sentenced by the same jury that
convicted him Friday on a capital
POLLO CAMPERO
Judge recuses
murder charge. His brother, Noble
Mays Jr., was executed in 1995 for
the fatal stabbing of a Good Samar-
itan who agreed to help him with a
himself in trial
ASSOCIATED PRESS
disabled car. chicken ranch in Campti, Texas.
Henderson County Sheriff’s She was released on $10,000
Deputies Tony Price Ogburn and TULSA, Okla. — The trial of bail after an arraignment in
Paul Steven Habelt died and a third a deputy prison warden’s wife Mangum.
deputy was injured last May in a who spent a decade on the run If convicted, Bobbi Parker
shootout at Mays’ house in Payne with an escaped convicted killer could face as much as 10 years in
Springs, about 50 miles southeast of will be delayed because a judge prison.
Dallas. They were responding to a has recused himself. Parker, 45, claimed Dial ab-
domestic disturbance call made by Greer County District Judge ducted her and she stayed with
a neighbor who reported hearing Richard Darby has begun re- him all those years because she
gunshots on Mays’ property. After viewing new judges who could was afraid of what he would do
appearing to cooperate with the oversee the case of Bobbi Parker. to her family. After his capture,
deputies, Mays barricaded himself Associate District Judge Dan Dial also told authorities he had
inside his house, where he used a Deaver stepped down at the re- kidnapped her and brainwashed
high-powered rifle to shoot at offi- quest of the defendant. Deaver her.
cers. was an assistant district attor- But questions about a ro-
Mays was convicted in Ogburn’s ney when Randolph Dial was mantic involvement between the
death. charged with escape. two lingered after she returned
“Sadly, we lost two of Texas’ Prosecutors last month to husband, Randy Parker, and
finest on that awful day,” state At- charged Bobbi Parker with aid- their daughters, now grown.
torney General Greg Abbott said ing an escape for allegedly help- Dial went back to prison,
in a statement. ing Dial flee the Oklahoma State where he died last year at age 62.
“Our only hope is that today’s Photo by Ron Heflin | AP Reformatory in Granite on Aug. Dial, a noted sculptor, was a
sentence and the conclusion of this Customers pass Pollo Campero, a Latin chicken restaurant, located at a Wal-Mart store in Rowlett. Pollo Campero, a fried chick- 30, 1994. trusty running an inmate pot-
trial bring closure for the commu- en favorite once available only by flying takeout boxes into the United States, has teamed with Wal-Mart to expand its reach Law officers caught Parker tery program at the prison with
nity and the families of the victims.” to the nation’s growing Hispanic population. and Dial on April 4, 2005, at a Bobbi Parker’s assistance.
Darker religious sect found in Texas
By ANGELA K. BROWN man and throw Although members deny they parks owned by Hawkins in Abi-
ASSOCIATED PRESS their lives away, practice polygamy, former mem- lene.
that’s their right bers say Yisrayl Hawkins has at “Anyone can come here and
CLYDE — Behind guarded, or- in this country,” least two dozen wives and state can leave at any time,” Hawkins
nate gates at the end of a rural said Callahan records show he fathered two ba- said.
road, a self-proclaimed prophet County District bies last year with women ages After the April 3 raid on the
warns his followers about the end Attorney Shane 19 and 22. FLDS ranch, Child Protective Ser-
of time and rails against a dan- Deel. “But, to Yisrayl Hawkins, who has vices took more than 460 children
gerous and unclean world outside me, when you pleaded not guilty in his criminal into custody.
their West Texas compound.
HAWKINS do that to chil- case, said that he and his church Child-welfare officials said
The women are covered in dren and they don’t have a chance, are misunderstood and persecut- they cannot comment on possible
long skirts and long-sleeve shirts. that’s where the biggest concern ed because of their religious be- investigations of House of Yah-
Many of the children have differ- is.” liefs. weh members unless youngsters
ent mothers and share the same If convicted on the most seri- “We have nothing to hide,” said have been removed. Only one
father. ous charges, Yisrayl Hawkins the bearded, white-haired such case has occurred: Four chil-
But this isn’t the Fundamen- faces up to 20 years in prison. Hawkins, who declined to address dren living in Yedidiyah Hawkins’
talist Church of Jesus Christ of Another sect leader, Yedidiyah specific allegations against him home are now in foster care.
Latter Day Saints’ ranch, which Hawkins, goes to court this sum- and his sect. Yisrayl Hawkins was born Buf-
authorities raided last month in mer on charges of sexually abus- The House of Yahweh com- falo Bill Hawkins but legally
Eldorado after receiving reports ing a teenager, bigamy and wel- pound, about 120 miles northeast changed his name. He founded
that underage girls were being fare fraud. of the FLDS ranch, has wind gen- the House of Yahweh in 1980,
forced to marry much older Questions have also been erators, a cafeteria, a food-pro- three years after the former Abi-
men. raised about at least two deaths cessing plant and dozens of trac- lene police officer was fired for
This is the House of Yahweh: a within the sect. tor-trailer rigs holding canned having beer in his patrol car. The
different, even darker sect that the A 7-year-old died in 2003 after goods. It also has a few stores car- group moved to rural Clyde sev-
state has been investigating for her mother and another member rying homemade toiletries and eral years later so they would
years. Authorities in February performed home surgery on her clothing. have room to celebrate weeklong
charged the group’s 73-year-old infected leg. Both women were Unlike the FLDS members Old Testament feasts.
leader with performing polyga- convicted of injury to a child. who stay on the 1,700-acre ranch,
mous weddings and forcing about And in 2006, a woman bled to most House of Yahweh followers
40 children, some as young as 11, death after giving birth because members live in mobile homes
to work jobs at his 44-acre com- she was prevented from going to surrounding the sect’s compound,
pound. the hospital, according to a which is occupied only by a few
“If a bunch of adults want to wrongful-death lawsuit filed by caretakers. Other members own
get together and follow some con her husband. homes nearby or live in trailer