Breaking in twice, isn’t nice
A Gallup man was charged with two breaking and entering charges within two weeks of each other.
Bartholomew Whitegoat, 24, from Gallup, first broke into a room at the Colonial Motel, 1007 W. Coal Ave., on Feb. 18.
Gallup Police Officer Richard Rangel III was dispatched to the motel at 1:26 am, and he met with the motel owner. She told the officer that some people had broken into Room 159 of her motel, and that no one had been renting that unit.
When Rangel and Officer Aaron Marquez entered the motel room, they found two men and a woman inside, including Whitegoat. The suspects all cooperated and Rangel placed Whitegoat into his unit.
After he detained Whitegoat, Rangel went back to speak with the motel owner. She explained that someone had told her that the back window of Room 159 was broken.
When the officers went outside to check on the windows Officer Matthew Strandy noticed bike tracks and shoe prints that matched Whitegoat’s shoes.
The hotel owner said that the window repairs cost about $300.
Whitegoat was charged with breaking and entering and criminal damage of property under $1,000.
Then, 12 days later, Whitegoat was back at it again with the breaking and entering, although this time it was more personal.
On Feb. 26 at 9:10 pm, Rangel and Officer Patrick Largo responded to a break-in call at 402A Arnold St.
The victim explained that Whitegoat’s mother was her girlfriend, but that Whitegoat did not live with her. She said that when she arrived home that evening, she noticed that her bedroom window was broken. When she entered her apartment, she found Whitegoat asleep on her couch.
She told the officers that she wanted Whitegoat removed from her apartment because he didn’t live there, but she also noted that she didn’t want to wake him because he “tends to get disorderly,” the police report states.
After they called his name and shook his body several times, the officers were finally able to wake Whitegoat up. The officers noticed that Whitegoat had a hatchet in his waistband.
Once he awakened, the officers placed Whitegoat in handcuffs. Largo noticed that Whitegoat had scratches and blood on his right wrist, which Largo believed he received when he broke into the apartment.
Largo placed Whitegoat under arrest before transporting him to the Gallup Indian Medical Center to receive medical attention for the cuts on his wrist. He was then taken to the McKinley County Adult Detention Center where he was booked for breaking and entering.
Whitegoat’s next court date is slated for March 23, for the preliminary examination for his second breaking and entering charge.
By Molly Howell
Sun Correspondent
