IT WAS THERE A MINUTE AGO
Thoreau, May 22
One Thoreau man noticed his son’s truck was missing after he looked outside his window and didn’t see it one Saturday morning.
On May 22, around 7:07 am, McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Ivan Tsethlikai Jr. was dispatched to #219 State Highway 122 in Thoreau after a caller said a truck had been stolen.
Tsethlikai met with the Thoreau man who made the call, who explained that his son’s red Dodge Pickup truck had been stolen from his front yard between 6 am and 6:40 am that morning. He stated that his grandson had parked the truck in front of his house the night before, and that all the entry gates had been locked. But he acknowledged that the vehicle doors were left unlocked and the keys were in the ignition.
The man said he saw the truck in the driveway at 6 am, but that it was gone 40 minutes later.
When he went outside, he saw tire tracks leading to a road behind his house. He said the tracks led to an eastside gate and then out toward Highway 122.
In his report, Tsethilkai noted that the caller believed the suspect/suspects pushed the gate open with the truck and then got onto Highway 122.
Tsethilkai noted a metal bar had been broken off the gate and that the gate foundation had moved.
BAD NEPHEW
Gallup, May 22
A Yatahey woman let her nephew borrow her car. When he didn’t bring it back she called the sheriff’s office.
On May 22, around 7:40 pm McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Jerald Watchman was dispatched to the Gallup Flea Market at 120 State Highway 608 because someone had called in a stolen vehicle.
In his report Watchman noted that he had some difficulty locating the caller. After discovering who owned the white Ford Taurus - he found out that the woman from Yatahey had given the car to her nephew, Eddie Merritte, 28.
Watchman had Metro Dispatch call the woman and tell her he couldn’t find Merritte. The car was last seen May 21 around 5:50 pm.
SPAM
Gamerco, May 20
When a Gamerco woman checked her email one Thursday morning she noticed 32 emails from an unwelcome ex-boyfriend.
On May 20 around 2:08 pm McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Jonathan Todachine, Jr. was dispatched to 706 Rust Avenue in Gamerco because a woman claimed a man was digitally harassing her.
When he arrived he met with the woman from Gamerco. She explained that Christopher Setzer, 42, of Gallup, had started sending her emails the night before around 9:25 pm. She didn’t notice them until the next morning, but she thought there were 32 of them.
The woman stated that Setzer is on probation and is not supposed to be contacting her at all.
In his report Todachine noted that he confirmed this claim with a Victim Advocate with the New Mexico District Attorney’s Office. The deputy told the victim not to respond to any of Setzer’s attempts to contact her. He was not able to make any contact with Setzer at the time.
LAUNDRY DAY
Thoreau, May 19
Two people were able to steal an unknown number of items from the Thoreau Family Dollar.
On May 19 around 9:13 am McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Barnhurst was dispatched to the Thoreau Family Dollar at 70 State Highway 371 because a woman had run out of the store with a bunch of merchandise.
When he arrived, Barnhurst met with the store manager who stated that a man and woman had backed up into the parking spot by the ice machine and gotten out of a red Ford Ranger. She said the male pulled down the tailgate.
The manager explained that the pair came into the store and the man picked up a laundry basket and started filling it with things. She said she asked him if she could help with anything while he was picking out t-shirts and putting them in the basket.
The manager then went outside to the back loading door. She thought the man might pass the basket out the side door to someone, because that has happened before. But then another employee called her back in when the pair ran out of the store.
Barnhurst was able to view the part of the store’s surveillance video where the Ford pulls up.
In his report Barnhurst said the store managers didn’t know how much the man had taken or how much it was all worth. They also didn’t know if the woman stole anything.
Barnhurst was unable to find the truck.
HOSTILITY AT THE GROCERY STORE
Vanderwagen, May 19
A man from Ramah took offense at a local grocery store after he thought some of the employees had threatened his wife with pepper spray.
McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Salazar was one of the deputies who responded to a call about a man threatening El Sabino employees on May 19 around 11:55 am. The man had left the scene at 1863 N.M. Hwy 502 in Vanderwagen, and Salazar found him driving near the 27 mile-marker on Highway 602 in a white Honda with a Georgia license plate, which matched the caller’s description.
The man was identified as Joseph Rochford, 34, from Ramah. After Salazar pulled him over, the man stated that the grocery store employees had been disrespectful to him and his wife. He explained that he had opened the store’s doors to ask his wife to get him a drink, but he hadn’t been wearing a mask.
Rochford said that they left the business earlier that day, but then his wife told him a grocery store employee had threatened to use pepper spray on her. He said he returned to the store. Rochford admitted that he had guns in his car.
McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Davis spoke to the grocery store employees and learned that Rochford did not threaten them with a gun, but was very hostile. The employees did not wish to press charges.
In his report Salazar noted that he spoke to Rochford about the fact that he did not have a concealed carry permit.
PHANTOM DOG ATTACK
Gallup, May 9
A woman who claimed dogs were about to attack her caused some damage to a man’s house and then almost hit him with a brick.
On May 9 around 6:06 pm McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Harland Soseeah arrived at 193 West Highway 66 in Gallup because someone had called about a woman walking around the area with a rock and trying to hit some dogs in the area.
When he arrived at the scene, Soseeah met with a woman named Kylie Shay, 23, of Fort Defiance, Ariz. In his report Soseeah said Shay appeared to be drunk and on drugs. She stated that dogs were about to attack her.
After Soseeah placed her in his patrol car, Shay said that the dogs were about to jump the fence and attack her. The fence in question was eight feet tall, and there were no dogs in sight at the time.
A homeowner who lived at 193 W. Hwy. 66 claimed Shay had been pushing his brick fence and had damaged it. He estimated it would cost him about $1,000 to fix.
The man explained he’d been sitting on his porch when he noticed Shay approaching his house and throwing rocks at his neighbor’s dog.
The Gallup man stated that Shay had picked up a cinder block and a brick and thrown them at him. Both missed him, but the brick came close.
An ambulance was checking Shay out because she said she had COVID-19 and thought she was about to throw up. However, she refused treatment and didn’t want to go to the hospital.
Soseeah drove Shay to the McKinley County Adult Detention Center where she was booked with Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon and criminal damage to property.
She was released on her own recognizance.
EGGS ON A HORSE TRAILER
Yatahey, May 5
A Yatahey woman called the police after her family’s horse trailer had been egged multiple times.
On May 5 around 5:28 pm McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Miguel Bittony was dispatched 20 S La Chee Dr. in Yatahey. When he arrived, he met with a 28-year-old woman who said her mother had told her to call the police after someone had thrown an egg at her horse trailer.
The woman stated that her mother had to work, which was why she wasn’t at the house when Bittony arrived.
The daughter suggested that the suspect may have been a woman who lived across the street. She clarified that there hadn’t been any egg on the trailer the day before. She stated that this had happened a few times before and that they had called the police after those incidents as well.
None of the family members have seen the egg thrower. The daughter mentioned that the suspect has thrown eggs at other people, and she thought the person responsible may have a mental disability.
In his report with the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, Bittony noted that he could see dried egg residue on the right side of the horse trailer and eggshells on top of the wheel well cover.
The deputy went over to the suspect’s house at 17 S La Chee Dr., but no one was home.