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From Wyoming News Exchange newspapers

New Cheyenne park shooting defendants plead not guilty

CHEYENNE (WNE) — Brothers Jalen and Santana Trujillo, who are facing charges of misdemeanor accessory after the fact to first-degree murder (not a relative), pleaded not guilty at a preliminary hearing Monday morning.

Their case is set for a jury trial, with a scheduling conference scheduled to take place in November.

The brothers, 19, are co-defendants with Johnny Munoz, 17, and Julian Espinoza, 16.

The four of them, along with Jeremy Lackey, 18, were allegedly in a black SUV, driven by Espinoza, in the early morning hours of April 30. As the vehicle passed by Lincoln Park, shots were fired from the vehicle that caused the death of 15-year-old BayLee Carabajal-Clark.

Laramie County Assistant District Attorney William Edelman amended the charges against Jalen and Santana Trujillo, reducing them from felonies to misdemeanors. Edelman told Circuit Judge Sean C. Chambers on Monday that he made this change to reflect the fact that Jalen and Santana were allegedly an accessory to a crime committed by a minor.

Jalen and Santana were originally facing up to three years in prison and a $3,000 fine. Now that the case is a misdemeanor, they face a maximum of six months in jail and a $750 fine, if convicted.

Espinoza allegedly slowed down near Lincoln Park the morning of April 30, and Munoz allegedly fired at a crowd of people on the basketball court, according to court documents.

A Cheyenne Police Department officer who testified at Espinoza’s preliminary hearing said he had heard that Munoz allegedly intended to shoot Carabajal-Clark’s cousin, Joey Carabajal Jr. Munoz pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder at a hearing in June. His criminal trial has been tentatively set for October.

Espinoza also pleaded not guilty in June, with his trial scheduled to take place later in the year.

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Woman gored by bison in Yellowstone National Park

JACKSON (WNE) — A bison gored a 47-year-old woman Monday morning in Yellowstone National Park, the first time this year that a visitor has encountered the large ungulate’s horns in America’s first national park.

The woman sustained “significant injuries to her chest and abdomen” and was transported by helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, according to Yellowstone officials in a Monday afternoon press release.

The woman was walking in a field in front of the Lake Lodge Cabins, located on the northern tip of Yellowstone Lake, when she and her companion saw two bison, park officials said. When the walkers saw the animals, they turned to walk away from the bison. One of the animals charged and gored the woman.

Yellowstone officials said they didn’t know how close the woman and her companion were to the bison when it charged.

“This incident remains under investigation, and there is no additional information to share, including the woman’s condition,” officials wrote in the press release.

In Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, regulations require visitors to stay more than 25 yards away from large animals, including bison, and more than 100 yards away from large carnivores, including bears and wolves.

That’s because animals in both parks are wild and can be dangerous when approached by humans.

Bison, in particular, can become agitated quickly during mating season, also known as the “rut,” which runs from mid-July to mid-August.

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Man arrested for felony stalking after calling woman 29 times, trying to get into her home

GILLETTE (WNE) — A 41-year-old man was arrested for felony stalking after calling a woman 29 times in a row and making threats.

Police responded to a report of the man trying to break into a home on Laramie Street Friday morning, Deputy Chief Brent Wasson said.

When they arrived, he was on the front steps, and a 44-year-old woman was inside. She said the man showed up and pounded on the door, demanding to be let in.

She reported that this was the second time in two days this had happened, referencing a similar incident that occurred Thursday. She also believed he had damaged her vehicle earlier in the day Friday, Wasson said.

Officers learned the man had called the woman 29 consecutive times and texted her 14 times, Wasson said, and the messages included threats of harm.

Due to the continued pattern of behavior and the nature of the messages, the man, Leo Michael, was arrested for felony stalking.

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Cody mayor works to calm controversy as temple discussion delayed again

CODY (WNE) — Components for the Cody temple proposed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been confirmed by local LDS leaders to be stacked behind the Y-Tex building on Big Horn Avenue.

The modules appeared at least a month before the LDS submitted its site plan application to locate the temple off Skyline Drive in May, said Terry Skinner, a member of the Protect Our Cody Neighborhoods group that opposes the temple’s proposed site.

Several issues related to the Cody temple — including a special exemption application related to the building’s height, a conditional use permit and a commercial site plan — were on the agenda of the city’s July 11 Planning and Zoning Board meeting, but the applicant requested a postponement, board chair Carson Rowley said.

Rowley anticipates the issues will be discussed at the board’s July 25 meeting.

In the meantime, due to the controversy that’s developed over the proposed location, Cody Mayor Matt Hall last week convened a meeting with representatives of Skinner’s group and the LDS project manager “to start a dialogue,” he said.

“It was a good conversation, everyone articulated their positions,” Hall said. “The next step is up to them.”

Hall added that everyone is concerned about “the narrative getting churned” and how the temple discussion “is dividing the community.” He’s hoping to repair it.

“I’m quite concerned about the community and the health of the community,” he said.

Something may come of Hall’s effort, Skinner said July 17, yet he noted that the whole issue should have been addressed sooner.

The City Planning and Zoning Board first discussed the temple’s applications in a June 15 meeting, and decisions have been tabled and postponed on several occasions.