In a fifteen-minute span last week, two men were caught buying alcohol for minors during an undercover Española Police operation.
Jesus Marquez-Chacon, just barely old enough to buy alcohol himself at 21, was the first caught when approached by a female “willing participant over the age of 18 but under the age of 21” who posed outside Walgreens Jan. 23 as a minor trying to procure alcohol, according to court documents.
At about 8:45 p.m., Marquez-Chacon agreed to buy alcohol for the woman and took money from her that had been provided by Española Police for the operation, documents state. He returned from Walgreens with a bottle of Jagermeister.
The woman handed the liquor over to police, and Det. Bryan Martinez arrested Marquez-Chacon and charged him with selling or giving alcohol to minors, a fourth-degree felony. He bonded out of Rio Arriba County Jail Jan. 27 after posting the $1,000 bail.
At about 9 p.m. Jan. 27 in front of Dan’s Liquor in Chimayó, a second man was caught in the same setup. Ricky Martinez, 50, of Santa Cruz, was approached by a woman between the ages of 18 and 21 who asked him to buy her alcohol. Martinez agreed and bought her whiskey, which was turned over to police as he was arrested, again for selling or giving alcohol to minors. Martinez was charged with the same offense as Marquez-Chacon and was still in custody on $5,000 bail.