Last week at the International Balloon Fiesta, Police Chief Ray Schultz decided that he would take the department's newest horse, Edgar, for a ride along with the department's horse unit.

Things didn't go so well. 

Schultz was riding Edgar during the night glow. Everything had gone well. Then, it was time for fireworks. As they started to go off, Edgar got a little antsy. He was pacing, panting and turning circles. And then, when the grand finale went off, so did Edgar. The 1,800-pound horse took off full gallop across the balloon field, with the city's top cop on board. Schultz's legs were clinching, he pulled back on the rings, and hugged Edgar's neck to keep from falling. But Edgar wasn't budging.

Meanwhile, the rest of the horse unit went after their chief trying to get Edgar to stop before he reached the crowd. But, once the fireworks were done, so was Edgar. He stopped before he got to any balloon enthusiasts. Edgar had traveled about 100 yards full speed. "After we stopped, he was all hot and sweaty, and so was I," Schultz said. 

Some bystanders who witnessed Schultz holding on for dear life gave a blushing Schultz a round of applause.

If you recall, Schultz and Edgar have built quite a bond. Schultz rode the 2-year-old Belgium draft horse for the state fair parade. Read the story here. On the left and at top, Schultz is pictured practicing with Edgar for the fair parade.

When asked, Schultz said he and Edgar are still buddies. He's not mad at the horse. As for the horse unit, they forgot to tell the chief that Edgar had never been around fireworks before.

Can you say traffic duty? 

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In July, Mayor Martin Chávez held a news conference in which he was putting judges "on notice."

The mayor announced he was going to have the city's chief public safety officer track cases involving repeat offenders and highlight what he called "problem" judges — those who are sentencing repeat offenders to probation or setting low bonds. "Judges don't seem to get it," Chávez said in news conference. "They are letting people out on low bonds to terrorize our community. ... It's simply outrageous."

In the news conference, Chávez used the case of Clifton Bloomfield as an example. At the time, Bloomfield was accused of killing Scott Pierce. Chávez blamed judges for giving Bloomfield probation from a previous home-invasion robbery. Read the July story here. To the right is a picture taken from the news conference. He is pictured with Seresa Lombardeux, 13, who received the Albuquerque A+ award from Chávez for her role in apprehending a man who broke into her family's home. That man was out on probation and had 10 prior burglary arrests.

Since then, detectives have learned that  Bloomfield was involved in four other homicides -- two of which Bloomfield was on probation for. Bloomfield has pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to 195 years in prison. 

What Chávez failed to mention at that July news conference -- when he attacked the judges -- was that District Attorney Kari Brandenburg's office had agreed to the plea deal that Bloomfield was sentenced to. It's well known that Brandenburg is a political ally of Chávez. In fact, when asked at that news conference why he wasn't putting Brandenburg "on notice," Chávez responded "We have a very good DA."

After the story broke about Bloomfield being connected to several other homicides, Brandenburg received a lot of heat for the plea deal Bloomfield got. A call was placed to Chávez to see if he wanted to comment this time about how Bloomfield was allowed to, in his words, "terrorize the community." The mayor didn't want to talk about it this time.  In fact he hasn't said a word and he has yet to highlight a "problem"  judge like he said he would in the  July news conference.

 He has had plenty of opportunities. Since the Bloomfield story broke on Oct. 3, the mayor has had 12 news conferences. 

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Clifton Bloomfield was sentenced to 195 years in prison Wednesday for five murders. During his sentencing hearing, several family members addressed the court, telling stories of their loved ones. Bloomfield has now been convicted of killing Scott Pierce, Josephine Selvage, Carlos Esquibel and Tak and Pung Yi. The hearing was very emotional and so many things were said that it was hard to include all of them in today's story. Here are their words:

Katherine Pierce: Scott Pierce was a nurse, a photographer and a cook ... He was a friend and my husband and the love of my life. He was a compassionate man who wanted to learn more about everything ... He loved life passionately. We were married only six days. We were looking forward to spending our lives together. Clifton Bloomfield has taken Scott away from me and his family. He has also robbed me of my peace of mind and he has rewritten my future. He robbed me of my future ... My hopes are not so high as to expect that Clifton Bloomfield will ever feel bad or remorseful for what he has done. The only thing we can hope for is that he will never be free again ... The truth is very simple. There is not enough pain or suffering that can be inflicted on him that would serve as justice for what he has done to Scott or any of the other families. Your honor, please consider all of the damage done by this man and the pain he inflicted and impose the maximum sentence.

Scott Pierce's 13-year-old nephew: He was my uncle. But he was more like a father. He taught me a lot of stuff. He encouraged me to go to college ... He had so much to live for. He was supposed to have children and grandchildren. (ADA Linda Mott finished the boy's written statement because he broke down in tears) ... Now that he is gone so are his children and grandchildren. Not just one man was murdered, an entire family was murdered."

Youngest Yi son: My parents came here to the land of opportunity ... There are so many things I want to say that I can't say ... I am so hurt and empty and angry ... Animals like this should not be roaming the streets. We need to make sure that animals like this do not exist in our community ... This man should not be allowed to walk the streets ever ever ever again.

David Selvage: On behalf of my sister and myself, My mother Josephine Selvage was a teacher, friend, music lover, dancer, a volunteer, an avid reader and a 50-year resident of Albuquerque. She loved children and dedicated her life to raising four children of her own and educating countless others for over 25 years with the Los Angeles Public Schools and the Albuquerque Public School system. As a teacher, she spent most of her years at an elementary school in Albuquerque. She was most passionate about learning, especially reading and instilled the love of books in her children and students. Her focus on reading continued beyond her years teaching and into her retirement. She continued to educate elementary age students as a volunteer reading program and was a Special Olympics volunteer, at least until she was killed. She understood the power of books and reading to spark a child's imagination, to create a refuge for life's difficulties that would ultimately foster all future educational success. Our mother was also in love with her home, the state of New Mexico. She cherished the natural wonders - both the skies the sunshine and the cultural diversity. She promoted New Mexico to everyone she met as the only place to live and she couldn't truly understand why anyone would want to live anywhere else. She traveled frequently and extensively. She was always happiest at home. We miss our mother every day of our lives ... We miss her laugh, her smile, her cooking, her comfort, her contradictions, her humanity. Her life was taken needlessly and selfishly. There will never be any real justice because no one can giver her life back ...We ask you to provide closure and make sure this man never inflicts pain on anyone else.

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An Albuquerque woman was arrested this week and charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy and two counts of false imprisonment after she allegedly helped her boyfriend hold two women against their will and assault one of them.

The incident began with a group of friends who were hanging out and drinking in a southeast Albuquerque apartment, according to a criminal complaint. The gathering escalated until Bernest Benjamin, 39, allegedly demanded that one of the women in the apartment give him money. When she didn't provide any, he allegedly told her to strip, then punched her in the face until she fell on the floor and told his girlfriend to hit her, which she allegedly did.

The girlfriend, Cassandra Calavaza, 25, then stood guard over the victim with a steak knife while Benjamin left and returned with a friend of the victim's who had heard the screaming and was looking around outside.

Benjamin, Calavaza and the owner of the apartment were all arrested and charged. When police confronted Calavaza about the incident, she admitted her role, according to the complaint, and said she "loved her man so much" and knew "it wasn't right, I respect my man I do anything for my man."

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