A Medanales woman called 911 Oct. 23 after strangling her friend to the point that she stopped breathing, according to the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Department.
Alisha Sarracino, 20, reported her friend Sharon Ortiz, 20, was unconscious and wasn’t breathing around 11 p.m., saying she choked Ortiz in an altercation, according to 911 dispatch logs. Either Sarracino or a third person at the scene, Gerald Espinoza, successfully gave Ortiz CPR and revived her; dispatch logs state it was Espinoza but deputy Joe Griego said Ortiz told him Sarracino administered the CPR.
“(They) were drinking heavily and for some reason they just started getting in a verbal argument and they got into each other’s face,” Griego said. “The suspect said she just lost her temper and she took Sharon down and started choking her until she passed out.”
Griego said he observed strangulation marks on Ortiz’s neck. Ortiz refused to give Griego a statement, except to say she had thrown an ashtray at Sarracino earlier that night. The two were long-time friends who grew up together, Griego said.
Both women were highly intoxicated, and Sarracino admitted drinking nine beers, Griego said. Ortiz refused to be transported to a hospital and was only checked out by paramedics responding to the scene.
Sarracino was booked on charges of aggravated battery, false imprisonment and assault, but subsequently was released after posting $1,000 bond, Griego said.