Clerk blasts thief with pepper spray

Richard Augustine Mazon, 33, messed with the wrong clerk when he allegedly attempted to rob the Alon gas station, 550 U.S. 491, on the evening of Oct. 16.

According to Gallup Police Officer Dominic Molina’s report, the clerk said a man wearing distinctive clothing – a black-hooded sweater, blue jeans, white shoes, and a mask – brazenly walked behind the counter and demanded money from him.

The clerk told Molina that the man, now identified as Mazon, said, “Give me the money or [I am] going to shoot you … you have to the count of 5 or [I am] going to shoot you.”

Mazon allegedly began the countdown, but didn’t reveal a weapon to the...

Legal limit is .08

Preston Ray Dodge

Oct. 16, 11:59 pm

3rd DWI

McKinley County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ivan Tsethlikai Jr. made contact with Dodge, 34, after off-duty MCSO Deputy Merlin Benally noticed Dodge stopping in the middle of the road in Iyanbito in a white Ford pickup.

According to Tsethlikai’s report, Benally said Dodge parked his pickup at a rest area near a gravel pile on westbound N.M 118, mile-marker 33, after exiting his car to take a picture of the railroad tracks, staggering back to the vehicle, and driving off.

Tsethlikai arrived on scene, and found Dodge passed out in the driver’s seat. When Tsethlikai made contact with him, Dodge smelled...

CHILD THIEF

10/16, GALLUP

At 11:57 am, Gallup Police Department Officer Andrew Thayer was dispatched to 601 S. Dani Dr. Apt. M3 in reference to a larceny.

According to his report, on arrival, Thayer made contact with a woman who said she’d left an iPad Mini on the coffee table before heading to Walmart. The only people home at the time, according to the victim, were her sons and their friend, 13 or 14 years old.

According to the report, when the victim returned home after her trip to Walmart, the iPad was gone, along with $10 from her dresser drawer. According to the victim’s son, before the friend left, he’d asked to borrow a jacket.

Officers attempted to make contact...

Damages: $30,000

The north-side McDonald’s at 700 N. U.S. 491 remained closed this week after a grease fire grew out of control and forced the business to temporarily close its doors on Oct. 11, officials said.

Gallup Deputy Fire Chief Jesus Morales said city firefighters responded to the scene at about 8:28 am. Morales said the cause of the fire is yet to be determined and estimated the cost of damages to be around $30,000.

“The fire is still under investigation,” Morales said. “There were no injuries. This could have been a case where the machine got too hot or something along those lines.”

Morales said firefighters arrived at the scene within minutes, and the incident...