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Dec. 2 First News: Major Jewelry Heist On Plaza During Friday Xmas Tree Lighting-Listen

A major jewelry heist in downtown Santa Fe Friday. Santa Fe police say more than a million dollars’ worth of jewelry was stolen from a store on the historic plaza in Santa Fe as crowds gathered for a holiday tree-lighting festival outside. Santa Fe Police Lieutenant Michele Williams said that 11 items of jewelry were taken from an unlocked case in the Diva Diamonds and Jewels store bustling with shoppers. Williams said the jewelry was removed between 5:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. and that store employees were busy attending to customers and did not discover items were missing until about 6 p.m. Police declined to provide more details. Santa Fe Police are attempting to identify a trio of suspects involved in the Friday heist. Police distributed images of the suspects taken from security camera footage on the day of the theft and in the weeks leading up the robbery.

The FBI says a special agent who has been with the federal law enforcement agency for nearly 20 years has been tapped to lead its Albuquerque division. FBI Director Jamey Comey announced Terry Wade's appointment as the area's special agent-in-charge on Tuesday. Wade will replace Carol Lee, who has been promoted to a senior executive for special projects post at FBI headquarters in Washington. Wade moves to Albuquerque from Los Angeles, where he was the special agent in charge for that office's criminal division. In 2007, Wade was an assistant special agent in Albuquerque before serving in Baghdad for several months as the deputy on-scene commander.

More than a dozen Republican lawmakers are asking the New Mexico Supreme Court to revamp rules they say have led to violent criminals being released in the state's most populous county. The GOP lawmakers are the latest to raise concerns about an order issued by the court in February that set strict timelines for the disposition of criminal cases. They say prosecutors in Bernalillo County should have more time to present evidence and that the deadlines imposed by the so-called case management order are unreasonable. They also say prosecutors are being forced to dismiss hundreds of cases rather than face sanctions under the rules. The Supreme Court already has sought comments from prosecutors, public defenders and others on proposed amendments but has yet to make a final decision on what changes to adopt.

New Mexico State Police say they're investigating an officer-involved shooting in Socorro. Details weren't immediately released Tuesday. Police say an officer discharged his firearm, but the agency couldn't immediately confirm if a person was injured in the shooting. KOAT-TV reports that a member of the Socorro County Sheriff's Department fired the shots and one person was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The New Mexico Department of Health has announced the first flu-related deaths of the 2015-16 season. Health officials say a 67-year-old man in Dona Ana County and a 69-year-old man in San Miguel County have died from influenza. Their names weren't released Tuesday. Health officials say flu activity typically peaks between December and February. During the 2014-15 flu seasons, New Mexico had more than 260 influenza and pneumonia-related deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New Mexico Department of Health recommend that everyone aged six months and older get a flu vaccine.

A pet tortoise stolen during a home invasion got to ride shotgun when Albuquerque police returned the reptile to its owner. Officers responding to the Sunday evening home invasion were able to get a description of the car in which three suspects drove off with the 10-year-old tortoise. Police then were able to locate and stop the car. They found straw from the tortoise's pen on the car's front seat but not the tortoise itself. However, questioning of the suspects enabled police to find the tortoise in the home of a friend of one of the suspects. The tortoise was returned to a tearful owner. The three men were arrested and jailed on suspicion of aggravated burglary and other crimes.

Santa Fe Weather: Sunny today and tomorrow… the high today, 45 rising to 48 on Thursday. Tonight: Mostly clear with the overnight low down to 21.