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Weekly Crime Blotter

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ROADSIDE DEATH

7/2, MENTMORE

McKinley County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Salina Brown was dispatched to the 14-mile marker on I-40, westbound, in reference to an accident. When she arrived at the scene, she found a semi truck off the north side road. In front of the truck, a red car, with a driver in the seat, was pushed against the right-of-way fence. The driver of the car, Douglas L. Hudson, 73, was declared deceased prior to Brown’s arrival.

Next-of-kin notification was completed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

 

PIPE ATTACK

7/1, GALLUP

Just after midnight, Gallup Police Department Officer Chris Molina arrived at the scene of a fight at 1115 W. Hwy 66. Michael Richard Paquin, 24, was the primary aggressor, as he hit Tyson Long, 20, with a pipe. Both men were drunk.

While attempting to give Long a breath test, a supporting officer was forced to drop and break the test when Long became aggressive. While putting him in a police vehicle, Molina was kicked in the chest by Long.

Paquin was booked on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and Long was booked for criminal damage to property, resisting an officer, and battery upon a peace officer.

 

TRIPPED OUT

7/1, GALLUP

While out on patrol, MCSO Sgt. Eric D. Jim was approached by Alejandro T. Salazar, 33, who appeared to be drunk. Salazar said he’d been in a fight with his wife and wanted an escort back to his room at the Budget Inn, 3150 W. Hwy 66, to get his ID.

Salazar said he and his wife were “on a small getaway trip, and were drinking in [their] room,” when his wife became upset and punched him in the face. When Jim asked the wife about the incident, she claimed Salazar “started to trip out,” pushed her to floor, and left the room. She denied punching her husband. Both were drunk, and there were several alcohol containers in the room.

Medical personnel declared the victim’s knee to be possibly dislocated; at Gallup Indian Medical Center, her knee was found to be fractured. Salazar was booked on aggravated battery of a household member.

 

KNIFE NONSENSE

7/1, THOREAU

MCSO Deputy Nocona Clark was dispatched to Windsong Ave., No. 9, in reference to a drunk and disorderly male. Clark was advised that Emery Largo, 30, had two knives, threatened residents, and was heading south of No. 9.

Upon arrival, Clark was waved down by Largo’s father, who pointed the suspect out. Clark told Largo to get down on the ground and handcuffed him. In Clark’s unit, Largo said, “I don’t want to say anything. I know how you cops are.”

At the residence, a 15-year-old victim said Largo, who was very drunk, let himself into the house and grabbed four knives before going into the victim’s bedroom, where he was watching TV with two younger children. Largo then yelled that he hated and wanted to kill them. The teenage victim talked Largo down.

Largo’s sister locked the doors and the windows of the house after Largo left with the knives. He was booked on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, three counts of child abuse, and criminal damage to property.

 

TASER TREATMENT

6/30, GALLUP

Gallup Police Department Officer Andrew Thayer was dispatched to 2808 Chamisal Ave. No. 49 in reference to a domestic dispute with weapons. At the scene, Thayer was told that Shane K. Williams, 30, was inside the residence, armed with a knife. Williams had attacked his wife, who managed to escape.

Thayer and several supporting officers, including GPD Chief Phillip Hart, ordered Williams to leave the residence.

“He did not comply and we entered,” the report states.

The officers found Williams in the back bedroom; he exited the room with a knife in each hand. He refused to drop the knives, and approached the officers. A supporting officer tasered Williams, who fell to the ground. He smelled of alcohol, and the victim later said Williams becomes violent when he drinks.

According to the victim, Williams was on probation for domestic violence. This time, he body slammed her on the kitchen floor and tried to cut her with a knife; she was cut on her neck. Williams was charged with aggravated battery of a household member, and aggravated assault upon a peace officer.

SKINWALKER

6/30, THOREAU

When MCSO Deputy Shane Bennett entered 92 Hwy 371, he noticed a drunk man carrying a chainsaw and a black bear head under his arm. When Bennett asked Herbert Sandoval, Jr., 54, what he was doing, Sandoval slurred, “It’s mine, I found it by the post office skate park … someone gave it to me.”

Bennett noticed a wooden rifle butt and roll of silversmith wire protruding from Sandoval’s waist. He had a bottle of whiskey in his jeans. A local business owner later identified some of the items — including the bear head, rifle, wire, and chainsaw — on Sandoval’s person as stolen property.

Sandoval claimed to be a skinwalker, and cursed Bennett. He also said, “I finally find a bear head and all I needed was to find a body of a bear.”

The items were returned and Sandoval was booked for receiving stolen property.

 

BENTON YAZZIE.JPG

JOE BLOW

6/27, GALLUP

GPD Officer Chris Molina was dispatched to 401 E. Hill Ave. in reference to a domestic dispute. At the scene, a drunken Benton John Yazzie, who called himself Joe Blow, was detained.

According to the victim, she arrived home only to be confronted by her ex-boyfriend. During the argument, Yazzie, 43, scratched the victim’s face, threatened to hit her vehicle with a cinder block, and refused to leave the residence. When finally locked out, he began to hit the door with the cinder block.

Yazzie was placed under arrest for battery on a household member and criminal damage to property of a household member.