Seven months after being shot in the leg during a patrol at Abiquiú Lake, Army Corps of Engineers Park Ranger Alfred Chavez has returned to his job.
“Hanging in here,” Chavez said. “It feels good to be able to come back to work and work with my coworkers, my colleagues here. They’re like my second family.”
Chavez was shot Dec. 1, 2007, while investigating a burglary at a locked pump house, an Army Corps release states. Two men emerged from the house and one of them fired two shots at Chavez, the release states.
The two suspects are still at large, and the FBI has raised its reward to $20,000 for information leading to their arrest and conviction. Both are described as white or Hispanic males, one in his early to mid-20s and the other in his late teens or early 20s. They have black and light-colored hair, respectively, and the black-haired suspect has a large tattoo on the side of his neck, the release states.
Chavez said investigators believe the men live in one of the communities near Abiquiú Lake, and they are relying on information and tips brought forward by area residents.
“They’re going to do a special ‘America’s Most Wanted’ video on it,” Chavez said.
Chavez returned to work Monday and said he’s now pulling four-hour days, doing light-duty tasks like visitor assistance and paperwork. He said he still suffers pain in his leg and lower back; the bullet that struck him shattered both his femur and kneecap. The recovery process has been lengthy, and he still undergoes frequent physical therapy, Chavez said.
“It’s not going to be 100 percent,” Chavez said. “But with a lot of therapy and a lot of exercise, they expect it to get to a good working order.”
Chavez said since his shooting, the Army Corps has changed its staffing policy so that two rangers are always on duty; they have also equipped rangers with cell phones, he said.