The police blotter is published to give readers an abridged look at criminal activity in their community and neighborhood. It is simply an illustration of what local law enforcement, funded by taxpayers, must deal with daily throughout the Española Valley.
Española Police officers, Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Police, Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s deputies or State Police responded to the following calls:
Wrapped
in a sheet
March 21
5:29 a.m. A boy was at Valdez Park and was reportedly beaten by someone and went to the Española Hospital. Staff was having difficulty getting in touch with his parents.
7:44 a.m. An Ohkay Casino caller said two people in a truck appeared to be doing drugs. They left before police arrived.
8:33 a.m. A Calle Flores caller reported a person was walking down the road, wrapped in a pink sheet and was up to “no good.”
8:49 a.m. A caller said a woman stole a car and traded it to a drug dealer.
9:39 a.m. An Española Valley High School caller reported a student who’s suspended showed up and won’t leave. He was disrupting classes, fighting with his girlfriend and causing problems.
10:38 a.m. A Chamita caller requested a welfare check on an elderly man wearing a robe and walking in the middle of the road.
12:16 p.m. A caller said he’s in the hospital but his cousin called to tell him there are three people in his house.
2:07 p.m. A caller reported her boyfriend pushed her on the bed and put a gun to her head as she was trying to get things from the house so she could leave.
2:30 p.m. A student at San Juan Elementary was using a THC vape pen at school.
2:50 p.m. A Chama caller said she left her phone at a woman’s house a month ago and she won’t return it.
4:16 p.m. A caller requested a welfare check on a man lying on the side of the highway in Ohkay Owingeh.
4:46 p.m. An Ohkay Eagle Mart caller said someone is refusing to leave the restroom.
4:47 p.m. A man was in and out of consciousness because he was very drunk at the Española Pathways Shelter.
5:20 p.m. A man and woman were arguing and slamming doors in the Santa Cruz Country Store parking lot.
5:27 p.m. A man against whom a caller had a restraining order was on their West Bond Street property.
6:19 p.m. A man in a cowboy hat was harassing women at Walmart.
6:21 p.m. A loud explosion was heard on Calle de Pajarito.
6:44 p.m. A man was caught breaking into a coin machine at 420 Emporia.
6:46 p.m. A couple went to RASO to file a child abuse report.
7:06 p.m. A woman kept going into a business on North Riverside Drive and yelling at employees.
10:55 p.m. A Pine Avenue in Chama caller said their son’s girlfriend went out to start her car and found a man with a machete on his hip sitting in it.
11:23 p.m. A caller reported finding BB gun holes in the side of his semi truck after driving through Española.
11:26 p.m. A caller requested a welfare check on a woman on Kennedy Loop. After the welfare check, the Office of the Medical Investigator was called.
Drunk stalker
March 22
12:46 a.m. A caller said a man was hitting her, pointed a gun at her face, then left on foot.
1:38 a.m. A deputy pursued a vehicle after it failed to pull over for an attempted traffic stop.
7:40 a.m. A caller wanted to speak with an officer about a woman, known to do drugs and drink, who was stalking her.
10:32 a.m. An overdose was reported in Hernandez. One dose of Narcan was administered and CPR was performed; the woman regained consciousness.
10:51 a.m. A caller said his property manager went into his home unannounced and he’s concerned that she took photos of him changing his child’s diaper. He wants an officer to go through her phone.
11:30 a.m. Two overdoses were reported on Private Drive 1130. Narcan was administered and both regained consciousness.
11:54 a.m. A Hernandez caller wanted to report damage to her vehicle that she thinks may have been done by her boyfriend’s dad.
11:59 a.m. A Verizon Wireless caller said a man is inside and trying to get a woman to leave with him.
12:40 p.m. A Speedway caller reported a woman smelled of alcohol and was having a hard time getting into her vehicle.
1:46 p.m. An overdose was reported at Española Pathways Shelter. Narcan was administered.
2:53 p.m. A caller said her son is drunk and at her house and she wants him escorted back to the camping trailer on her property.
2:55 p.m. A fire was reported near Los Luceros.
3:18 p.m. An overdose was reported in Chimayó.
3:22 p.m. An overdose was reported at the Santa Cruz Country Store. A man who just got out of jail after three months took two hits of fentanyl.
4:28 p.m. A Walmart caller said a woman is stalking her and she wants to file a report.
5:51 p.m. A caller reported her husband was verbally abusing her and left her walking.
7:10 p.m. A man riding a 4-wheeler on North Prince Drive pointed a gun at a dog.
7:30 p.m. People were trying to start a fire in the backyard of an abandoned house on Old Hospital Road.
8:07 p.m. A Truchas caller said his father is drunk and trying to leave.
10:33 p.m. A security guard at Darrin’s Place was getting physical with another security guard.
Parking lot fights
March 23
1:48 a.m. Five people were having an altercation in the Ohkay Casino parking lot and a woman was being drug.
2:02 a.m. A fatal collision occurred at the Plaza de Española.
2:03 a.m. An overdose was reported in Velarde. One dose of Narcan was administered.
3:20 a.m. A Chama caller said a man was yelling at her and she was bleeding from her lip and her baby was bleeding from the head.
4:25 a.m. A caller reported a woman attempted to hit them and pulled a knife.
6:04 a.m. A caller requested a welfare check on a woman who was hit by a car and can’t walk. The woman who was hit said someone is trying to kill her.
9:34 a.m. A man was screaming and banging on and punching the door at World Finance.
10:48 a.m. A man was knocking over the planters at City Hall.
11:09 a.m. A truck was on fire by the tanks in Ohkay Owingeh.
11:26 a.m. A Hernandez caller said a “meth head” and drug addict is at his house. He was there yesterday and was banging on the caller’s wife’s car and the police didn’t do anything.
2:15 p.m. A ditch fire got out of control in Tierra Amarilla.
2:56 p.m. A homeless man was asking people at Center Market for money and refusing to leave.
4:12 p.m. A woman in the pool area of the Santa Claran Casino Hotel barricaded her self in the restroom and security was trying to get her out.
5:03 p.m. Three men were fighting at Wells Fargo Bank.
9:32 p.m. An underage Walmart employee thinks a vehicle has been following her.
10:16 p.m. A Velarde caller said the neighbor came over and asked him to call the police. The neighbor was bloody and was beaten up.
10:38 p.m. A Chimayó caller reported her son had a bump and two puncture wounds after a friend was there, playing with him.
Stabbed near Wendy’s
March 24
12:12 a.m. A Jackrabbit Trail caller wanted to speak with an officer because her ex kept driving by and harassing her.
12:54 a.m. A woman’s death was reported in Coyote.
2:34 a.m. Someone was stabbed in the arm four times near Wendy’s.
7:44 a.m. A Las Cumbres Learning Center caller said a homeless woman was sleeping in front of the entrance and they could not get into the building.
9:50 a.m. A Walmart caller reported two mountain bikes were stolen from her car.
10:17 a.m. A Medicare van driver in Velarde requested help from deputies with a patient.
10:35 a.m. A woman requested a welfare check on a man who was schizophrenic, delusional and hadn’t taken his medication.
11:01 a.m. A Calle Sierra Vista caller thinks someone tried to break into one of his vehicles last night. There are some tools around the vehicle and it won’t start.
12:23 p.m. A man and woman were in the dumpster area of Pizza Hut and refused to leave.
1:20 p.m. A Calle Duran caller reported his daughter’s bicycle was missing. He had video footage of a man taking it.
1:52 p.m. A report was taken at McCurdy Charter School for harassment.
3:55 p.m. A woman wanted to file a report because her grandson stole her car two years ago. She didn’t want him charged at the time but wants him charged now.
4:56 p.m. A caller reported a man nodding off while driving near the Ohkay Casino.
5:34 p.m. A caller wanted people setting up tents near Calle del Alamo and North Railroad Avenue to be dispersed.
5:34 p.m. A man was at Cook’s Mobile Home Park, pushing a shopping cart and waving a metal bar.
6:55 p.m. A Hernandez caller said he has video of someone taking one of his cameras.
7:36 p.m. Juveniles were shooting Orbees guns at Walmart.
9:11 p.m. An East Chamisa Street caller said the back window on their vehicle was broken by a rock.
10:23 p.m. An infant was taken to the Española Hospital for an overdose.
Killer dog
March 25
2:38 a.m. A man was passed out in a truck with drug paraphernalia at the Ohkay Casino.
8:19 a.m. A man’s death was reported in Chimayó.
8:23 a.m. Two women wearing pajamas were walking toward the graveyard on Cañada Court. They told a neighbor they were hiding from a man.
9:35 a.m. A Hernandez caller reported an illegal burn and said the person is possibly burning electrical wires.
10 a.m. Two people were fighting at Española Pathways Shelter.
10:04 a.m. A Vallecitos caller said someone stole from his property again.
10:22 a.m. A caller requested a welfare check on two young girls hitchhiking on State Road 76 and State Road 106.
11:06 a.m. A woman was asked to leave Center Market but refused.
11:22 a.m. A caller said a dog was killing his chickens. He followed the dog to a house near the high school but didn’t know the address.
1:09 p.m. A caller reported a person was using a tool to get into the No Limit Hair Salon.
1:15 p.m. A caller said her brother is hitting her and throwing things at her.
3:58 p.m. A woman threw rock’s at a Santa Clara caller’s windshield.
4:02 p.m. A woman on a bicycle was on the ground, in between lanes on Fairview Lane. It was determined she was hit by a vehicle that fled.
4:17 p.m. A woman who was on suicide watch at the hospital and fled wanted to “turn herself in.”
5:33 p.m. A caller said her 12-year-old nephew is threatening to run away and she doesn’t know what to do.
6:28 p.m. A caller reported a man with a child is panhandling in the La Cocina parking lot.
7:17 p.m. A Hernandez caller said the neighbor is videotaping her children playing outside and she has a history of doing this and yelling at them.
10:22 p.m. An Abiquiú caller reported two women dragged her daughter out of her house and beat her up.
11:24 p.m. Shots were heard on Camino de Mesa.
Ignoring calls
March 26
6:58 a.m. A caller requested a welfare check on an elderly man slumped over the center console of his vehicle, with money all over.
9:49 a.m. A missing girl was found at a home in El Guache and returned to her guardians.
10:15 a.m. A caller thought they saw a body wrapped in something in the river near Valdez Bridge. Officers did not find a body.
12:03 p.m. A caller said his daughter’s phone was stolen from her backpack at the Española Middle School. The phone is pinging at the school, but whenever he calls it, the person who has it ignores the calls.
12:07 p.m. Drunk people by the Department of Labor were yelling and cussing at each other.
3:06 p.m. A man near Pizza Hut was beat up and had head injuries.
3:08 p.m. A man who was drinking all day was walking back and forth in the Burger King parking lot and a caller wanted an officer to disperse him.
3:20 p.m. A man at the Santa Claran Casino Hotel accused a woman of hitting his vehicle with her vehicle door, then threatened her.
3:54 p.m. A DNCU member went into the bank and threatened to kill one of their employees.
7:31 p.m. A caller requested a welfare check on a man and woman fighting on the side of the road at Las Vegas Street and North Riverside Drive.
7:36 p.m. A man was arrested for DWI at North Coronado Avenue.
7:57 p.m. A McDonald’s caller said they have been getting reports of a homeless man with a gun in the drive-thru at the order box.
8:40 p.m. A man was being belligerent with Walmart security in the parking lot.
8:43 p.m. A man was burning weeds in front of his house on East Pueblo Street.
9:04 p.m. A vehicle was doing donuts in the McDonald’s parking lot and a passenger pointed a gun out of the window.
9:43 p.m. A very drunk man in Chamita was yelling and had a gun.
10:36 p.m. A drunk man called 911 and when asked what the emergency was, he said, “I don’t know, you tell me stupid a** cop.” He then began yelling before hanging up.
11:01 p.m. A caller wanted an officer to check on a vehicle parked near the car wash at Speedway because they were “up to no good.” The officer did not find anyone in the car.