SNEAKING IN DRUGS
Gallup, May 16
Drug charges were placed against an inmate at the McKinley County Adult Detention Center on May 16 after drugs were found on his person during a routine search.
Correction officials said Sean Torres, no age given, of Gallup, was found to have a small bag in the waistband of his underwear during the morning inspection. Inside the bag, guards said they found what appeared to be suboxone, an illegal narcotic.
Torres claimed the bag was not his but charges of possession of a dangerous drug were made.
CAR FIRE
Gallup, May 15
The McKinley County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fire that totally destroyed a car on Cousins Road on May 15.
According to the police report, Miranda Yazzie, a volunteer firefighter, said she was on the way to the fire station when she saw a group of vehicles around a pickup truck that had been totally destroyed by fire.
When she arrived at the scene, the fire was out and the people at the scene said they stopped to render aid. She said she also noticed an intoxicated man standing behind the vehicle who was yelling.
By the time other firefighters arrived on the scene, everyone had left. During an inventory of the vehicle’s contents, firefighters found a two gallon gas can and an oil waste can just east of the vehicle.
The sheriff’s office checked and could find no reports that the vehicle had been stolen.
OFFICER ASSAULT
Gallup, May 6
A Navajo, N.M. man is facing assault on a police officer charges after he threatened a Gallup police officer.
Marion James, 22, was also arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and for having three outstanding warrants from the Gallup Municipal Court.
Gallup Police Officer Jerald Watchman said he was dispatched to the area near the 1000 block of West 66 Highway on May 6. On the way there, he noticed a man and woman arguing under the Munoz Bridge so he stopped.
The woman told Watchman that the two were headed to the Colonial Motel and began arguing, during which she accused James of trying to hit her. Watchman said he had dealt with the woman before and in that case, she had lied.
Watchman had placed James in his unit before he talked to the woman because of the outstanding warrants. He allowed the woman to go on to the motel so he make preparations to take James in on the warrants.
But James did not go quietly.
Watchman reported that James was placed the inside of his unit and began kicking and saying he knew where Watchman lived. He also mentioned one of his family members and kept repeating the statements over and over again. He also urinated in the unit.
When they got to the county jail, Watchman said James apologized for saying those things about him but then he refused to exit the unit, forcing Watchman to threaten to tase him. With the help of a corrections officer, the two finally managed to get James out of the unit.
But once in the jail, James continued to be disorderly and when he was in the process of changing into jail clothing, police discovered two glass pipes, one of which still had burnt residue in it.
BREAKING AND ENTERING
Gallup, May 6
Cipriano Mark Garcia reported to Gallup police on May 6 that someone had broken into a house he was building on the 1800 block of Mark Avenue.
He said he went over to the house that morning and discovered that his back door, which will cost $2,000 to replace because it was made of fiberglass, was damaged. Entry to the house was made by busting the window, which he said will cost another $3,000 to replace.
He said his plumber stayed the night at the house but reported seeing no one and hearing no one. There are no suspects at this time.
DRUGS AND BULLYING
Gallup, May 6
Gallup police officers have been dealing a lot with middle school students in recent days on drug and bullying issues.
Police were called to Chief Manuelito Middle School on April 26 after teachers found two female students in possession of drug paraphernalia.
One of the students was found in possession of a smoking pipe, which she said she found in a field near the school. The pipe was confiscated and the student’s parents were called to pick the student up.
The other student was seen with a thin glass pipe that had liquid inside of it. The student admitted that the pipe was hers and that the liquid was THC, which is the main ingredient of marijuana. Her parents were also called to pick her up.
No criminal charges were filed and the school is planning to hold disciplinary hearings for both students.
Police were called back to the school on May 6 after another two female students were detained by security officials after they came to school smelling of marijuana.
One of the students was sent to the office where she took a pouch from inside her underwear. The pouch contained two black smoking pipes.
Both students had bloodshot watery eyes and police contacted their parents to pick them up. Again, no criminal action was taken and school officials said the two will have disciplinary hearings in the near future.
The bullying case centered around a 12-year-old boy going to Gallup Mid-School. His mother told police her son had been bullied throughout the year and although she reported it to the principal, nothing was done.
On this day, the mother said, an older boy punched him in the face and broke his glasses as he was going to one of his classes. His mother said she was going to meet with the school principal the next day to see if something can be done to stop the bullying.
FALSE ORDER
Gallup, April 26
Jesus Resendiz, of Gallup, is still wondering who used his name to order an iPhone.
His problems began in mid-April when he got a package a package from Fedex. Inside he found a new iPhone and a bill from Verizon for $1,200. Resendiz said he had no idea who ordered the phone since his carrier was T-Mobile.
He called Verizon and officials there said they had no idea who used his name to order the phone. They said he could return it if he filed a police report which he now has done.
DOMESTIC TROUBLE
Gallup, April 26
Gallup Police Officer Richard Rangel said he was dispatched to Viro Circle about 10:30 pm on April 26 in connection with a domestic dispute.
Shortly before he arrived at the scene, he was told the parties had left in a vehicle so he went in search of the vehicle and found it nearby. When he did a traffic stop, he said he saw Martin Morales, 24, of Gallup, step out from the passenger side door and drop something to the ground.
Rangel said that as Morales walked toward him, he asked him what he had dropped and he didn’t respond. As he was patted down for weapons, Morales couldn’t stand still and when Rangel placed him in handcuffs, he tried to pull away.
Morales told Rangel that he and his girlfriend were just verbally arguing and yelling loudly. Nothing physical had happened. His girlfriend, who was driving the car, said the same thing.
Morales, however, was placed under arrest when Rangel went back and recovered what Morales had dropped. It turned out to be a black case containing a black tar substance as well as a white crystal substance as well as drug paraphernalia.
Morales was charged with possession of a controlled substance and tampering with evidence.
KNIFE ATTACK
Gallup, April 24
A 16-year-old Brimhall youth has been charged with aggravated assault after he reportedly pulled a knife on a man in the downtown walkway on April 24.
Emanuel Haudley was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Gallup Police Officer Darius Johnson said he was dispatched to the walkway about 8:30 pm because of a report of a disturbance.
When he got there, he met Kyle Frank, who told him he was walking through the downtown walkway when he saw Haudley picking on an elderly man sitting in the walkway. Frank said he confronted Haudley and they began arguing.
Frank said Haudley then pulled out a black pocket knife and started walking toward him. Frank said he yelled at him and began backing up when two security guards walked into the walkway. Haudley then began walking away.
Haudley was later spotted near Taco Bell on the east side and police came up to him and told him to stop walking. He ignored the command, said Johnson, and started giggling. When he did stop, he was uncooperative, refusing to tell police his last name or how to contact his mother.
He did admit he was carrying a pocket knife and drug paraphernalia, which was found during a pat down. He was then transported to San Juan Juvenile Center.