Three accused in Tuesday shooting

PORTALES — Three Portales residents are accused of various charges in connection with a Tuesday shooting in Roosevelt County.

Dancee Gephart, 29, Kevin Rogers, 35, and Benny Preston, 39, are each charged with at least two counts of aggravated battery, conspiracy to commit aggravated battery and false imprisonment. Preston has a third aggravated battery charge, while Rogers has an additional charge of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.

Gephart made her first appearance Thursday afternoon at Roosevelt County Magistrate Court. She was released Thursday on her own recognizance and is due back at the court Sept. 22 for a preliminary hearing. Her case has been assigned to the public defender’s office, but no specific attorney was assigned to the case as of Friday.

As of Friday, court records showed warrants for Preston and Rogers were still outstanding.

According to the affidavit filed Wednesday in Roosevelt County Magistrate Court:

• The Roosevelt County Sheriff’s office was dispatched to Roosevelt General Hospital for a report of a shooting. The shooting victim, Ian Whalin, said he was confronted outside a residents on the 2300 block of South Roosevelt Road 6 by Rogers, Gephart and Preston.

• Whalin said the altercation was over a dog, and all three were carrying some type of firearm. He said he was shot in the arm while fleeing on foot, and that they took his vehicle to search for him in the field. He told deputies he believed another gunshot victim was inside the house.

• Deputies found Etna Willburn at the residence, who said while Whalin was running away Gephart robbed her of two cell phones at gunpoint and pistol-whipped her. She said Preston and Gephart forced her into the house, then ransacked the house and stole various items.