Editor:
This letter is in response to a story last week that accused Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s deputy Manuel Valdez of informing Julian Rendon that a warrant was about to be served on him (Rio Grande SUN, July 16, 2009, Wanted Man Tipped Off by Lieutenant, page A16)
At 8:15 a.m. July 6 I was startled by banging on my door and my doorbell ringing. When I opened the door, there were several police surrounding my house and driveway.
They asked for Julian Rendon. I told them he did not live here so they asked if I knew where he was. I told the officer he was at Cook’s Trailer Court in Española. They asked if he worked and I told them he did not work because he is disabled. They asked for a phone number to reach him, so I gave them one. They thanked me for the information and left.
I immediately phoned my husband Joe Rendon, and told him the police were looking for his brother. He said he would call Julian to make him aware the police were looking for him. By the time my husband reached his brother, the police were at Cook’s Trailer Court knocking on the door for him.
In no way did Lt. Manuel Valdez inform Julian Rendon that he was about to be arrested. He knew about it because his brother Joe Rendon told him.
Josephine Rendon
Alcalde
Editor:
Immediately after all the officers left, my wife called me and told me what had happened. After hanging up with her, I called my brother Julian Rendon. I let him know what was going on. I asked him why the police were looking for him. He said he didn’t know. So I told him I would see if I could find out by getting a hold of Manuel Valdez, who is fiance to my step mother.
I called and left voice mail for Mr. Valdez to call me back. Within minutes of leaving the message, I receive a call from my brother’s girlfriend Paula Garcia, who said my brother had been picked up.
Later that day Mr. Valdez returned my call. I asked him if he knew what was going on with my brother. He said he had no idea and was rather busy at the moment. I asked if he could check into it for me. He said if he got a chance, he would. We hung up and he never got back to me.
Joseph Rendon
Alcalde
(Editor’s note: this letter was cut extensively because it repeated much of Josephine’s letter. It begins with Joseph Rendon’s first-person recollection of what he did after his wife called him. Deputy Adam Archuleta maintains Julian Rendon told him Lt. Manuel Valdez told him deputies were coming to arrest him.)