By KERA Staff and A-P Wire Service
Dallas, TX – A 38-year-old Mexican man has been executed in Texas for the rape-slaying of a San Antonio teenager after White House-backed appeals to spare him were rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court. .
Humberto Leal received lethal injection Thursday evening in Huntsville. .
His punishment capped a flurry of appeals that argued he deserved additional court review of his case because authorities didn't tell him he could seek legal help from the Mexican government when he was arrested for the murder of 16-year-old Adria Sauceda in 1994.
President Barack Obama's administration had joined with Leal's attorneys, arguing a delay was warranted so legislation covering cases like his could work its way through Congress.
Lawyers for the state of Texas opposed the appeals, saying un-passed legislation was not law.
Fort Worth Officer Shot
Fort Worth police say an officer is expected to recover after getting shot in the abdomen Thursday afternoon.
Police say the 16-year veteran officer was responding to a report of a suspicious person. When the officer started asking questions, the suspect shot the officer and ran.
Officer Sharron Neal would not identify the wounded officer but said he was able to radio that he'd been shot. He was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital where he underwent surgery.
Police arrested a 25-year-old man.
Relatives Seek Custody Of Abandoned Boy
A West Texas judge says a 4-year-old boy will remain in state care for now after his father was accused of abandoning him along a rural West Texas highway at night.
Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner says the boy's biological mother and an uncle each sought custody at a Nolan County court hearing Thursday.
The boy's father, Carlos Rico, is charged with attempted capital murder, accused of choking the boy and dumping him on the road about three hours before he was found. He's in Nolan County jail on $500,000 bond.
Mexican Trucks Closer To Traveling U.S. Highways
U.S. Department of Transportation officials say it will be at least two months before any Mexican truckers pass safety, English and national security checks and win approval to cruise middle America's highways.
And that is without any delays from members of Congress, some of whom wasted no time decrying the program's economic and security risks and even introducing legislation to limit it.
The strong reaction from supporters and opponents suggests the contested provision of the North American Free Trade Agreement remains controversial even though Mexican trucks have operated in trade zones near the border for years.
A limited number took part in a two-year demonstration program that gave them access to the U.S. interior.
Gas Prices Tick Up
Retail gasoline prices across Texas have risen a penny this week to reach an average $3.45 a gallon.
AAA Texas says El Paso and Houston have the least expensive gasoline in Texas this week, at $3.41 a gallon. The most expensive gasoline is in Amarillo and Fort Worth, each averaging $3.48 a gallon.
Redistricting Lawsuits
A federal judge has set September 6 as the date to consider lawsuits that would throw out Texas' redistricting plans.
The trial in San Antonio combines three federal lawsuits that claim the new congressional and legislative districts will diminish the voting power of minorities.
Every 10 years states must redraw electoral district boundaries when new census data comes out.
The republican controlled legislature adopted the maps at the center of the lawsuits filed by two Latino groups and an African American lawmaker.