A Chamita man is facing a felony charge of criminal damage to property after crashing into his neighbor’s fence with his truck, causing an estimated $2,300 in damage.
Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Deputy Patrick Martinez issued a summons for Dominic Carmona, 31, on May 6 after the April 27 crash. Martinez also charged Carmona with leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor.
In a criminal complaint, Martinez wrote that he was called to a house on Private Drive 1659 the morning after the crash by Scott McDuffie, who said a truck wrecked into his chainlink fence, taking it and the fence post out. He showed Martinez surveillance footage of the crash. In it, the truck drives onto the private drive, almost hits a rock wall to the left of McDuffie’s home, then crashes into the fence before continuing down the road.
Deputies spotted large tire tracks at the scene of the crash and McDuffie said the truck was parked down the road. Deputies went to the house and tried to talk to Carmona but were unsuccessful. They took pictures of the truck and the tires, including the passenger-side tire that had wear as if it has rubbed against something.
“This observation of the damage on the tire corresponds with the damage done to the fence,” Martinez wrote.
McDuffie told officers he wanted to press charges and Martinez wrote he was charging Carmona as the owner of the truck, as he should be the one held accountable, even if it was unknown who was driving.
Martinez did not write where McDuffie got the $2,300 estimate to repair his fence.
Carmona was summoned to be arraigned later this month.