LONE GUNMAN
12/8, Gallup
A lone gunman tried to rob a Gallup restaurant Dec. 8.
A clerk at the California Chinese Restaurant, 1020 W. Maloney Ave., told police a man dressed in black came in about at 8 pm with a gun. He demanded all of the money in the register.
The clerk said she told the man she couldn’t get into the register without a key and had to go in the back to get it. When she went into the back, she stayed there and the man left after a short time.
Police later obtained a video of the incident and saw the man walk up to the clerk with the gun pointed down. The clerk was shown going into the back, and the suspect left.
There was no description of the man and police were not able to find a suspect.
HUGS AND BATTERY
12/8, Gallup
A Gallup man was arrested Dec. 8 after causing a disturbance at a local coffee shop and breaking the business’s window.
GPD Patrolman Joe Roanhorse said he arrived at the Gallup Coffee Company, 203 W. Coal Ave., at about 1 pm, and was told by a clerk that a man, Eric Becenti, 40, had come into the shop, went up to a female customer and hugged her.
The woman said to him, “I don’t know you.”
The clerk said he gave Becenti a cup of coffee. Becenti appeared to be intoxicated.
After Becenti received the coffee, the clerk said he became belligerent and was ordered to leave the building. He then pushed the clerk who said he had to push Becenti out of the shop.
The clerk reportedly saw Becenti take something out of his pocket and then throw it at the front window, shattering it. The object was later found to be a small flashlight. The clerk said four bags of coffee were also damaged when the window shattered.
Police found Becenti in the middle of the road and arrested him. He was taken to the county jail, where he was charged with criminal damage to property and battery.
DRUNK MOTHER
12/8, Gallup
Deandrea Garcia, 40, of Gallup was charged with abuse of children after police found her intoxicated and unable to take care of her two kids.
GPD Patrolman Daniel Brown said he was dispatched to the apartment complex at 621 Dani Dr. just after midnight Dec. 8 in connection to a report of an intoxicated female trying to leave with her children.
When he arrived at the scene, Brown found Garcia pulling up the shirts of two children, ages 5 and 8, and choking them. Brown made Garcia stop and realized she was intoxicated.
He reportedly asked her how much she had to drink and Garcia replied, “Not that much.”
Brown said he had a hard time understanding what she was saying.
It turned out Garcia had left her children with a family member at the complex. The family member said Garcia appeared to be intoxicated and wanted more to drink but her family member refused, so Garcia left.
She apparently found more to drink, though, because when she returned, she was more intoxicated.
Garcia reportedly attempted to leave with her children but one of her family members stood in front of her car so she could not leave. At that point, police arrived on the scene.
Garcia was charged with two counts of abuse of a child and the children were turned over to child protective services.
TOOL THIEF
12/7, Gallup
A Gamerco man was charged with shoplifting after he reportedly stole tools from Home Depot Dec. 7.
GPD Patrolman Charles Steele said he found Raymond Becenti, 37, passed out in the bushes in front of the nearby Cracker Barrel, 1480 W. Maloney Ave. Becenti had in his possession tools he reportedly took from Home Depot.
Becenti was also discovered to have an outstanding bench warrant.
Steele said Becenti was extremely uncooperative when he was arrested, punching the partition cage and banging his head on the car. He continued to be uncooperative when he was taken to a local hospital for a medical clearance.
SHOOT AND RUN
12/2, Gallup
A Gallup man was allegedly shot while sitting in his car, when he was approached by a man who asked him for money.
GPD Patrolman DeWayne Holder said he was at the Gallup Indian Medical Center responding to a trespassing call at about 4 pm Dec. 2, when a man drove up and said he had been shot.
The victim said he had stopped his car near 5th Street, when a man approached him from the passenger side and asked how much money he had.
The victim said he told the man he had no money, and the man pulled out a gun, pointed it into the air and fired a shot.
The victim said the shot was loud and made his ears ring. He said he tried to drive away as the man pointed the gun at him and fired another shot. He said he felt a burning sensation in his hand.
He then reportedly picked up his wife and they drove to the hospital.
The victim described the suspect as “raunchy” and Latino, about 5-foot-10 and between the ages of 30 and 40.
After an investigation, Holder said he believed the gun was a BB or pellet gun.