A Jan. 27 bomb threat – the seventh in the past year – at the McKinley County Courthouse turned up nothing, officials said. Each time a threat has been called in nothing has been discovered, so officials believe the prankster is a criminal seeking to delay justice and interrupt county administrative business.
McKinley County Attorney Doug Decker said a telephone call came into Metro dispatch at about 1:34 p.m. The county went into its standard emergency protocol.
“We evacuated everyone from the building,” Decker said. “The matter is under investigation and will be until it is resolved.”
Decker said judges and attorneys at the Courthouse weren’t too happy about having their hearings postponed. Ditto for county workers in the building next to the Courthouse. He said the culprit is probably someone who had a court date on that particular day and was afraid of what the outcome could have been after court.
“That’s usually what it is,” Decker said. “We investigate everything.”
A similar bomb threat was called in on Nov. 4. In that situation, the entire Courthouse was evacuated as well, officials said.
Making a bomb threat is a fourth degree felony and punishable by huge fines and jail time. Although no one yet has been arrested for the McKinley County Courthouse bomb scares, Lt. Pat Salazar of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, said the MCSO doesn’t take threats lightly.
“We will find the people who do things like this,” Salazar said. “It’s a matter of time.”
A POSSIBLE LEAD?
MCSO investigators may have a lead, but need the public’s help. They are looking to question a Native American male who on Jan. 27 was seen at Pronto Fina gas station at about 1:34 pm. Investigators haven’t disclosed whether the phone call or an incident took place here, but stated that the man was wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, white shoes, and was wearing a white baseball cap.
He drove a silver in color sedan with unique wheels, possibly no wheel covers, displaying lug nuts.
Anyone with information is asked to call (505) 722-8514.
By Bernie Dotson
Sun Correspondent