These items were taken from officer reports at the Socorro County Sheriff’s office

Nov. 13

• An officer was dispatched at 2 p.m. to Polvadera Heights where an employee for a propane company was delivering propane when he noticed an animal tied up to a pole. Upon arrival, the officers located a medium-sized, brown pit bull tied to a pole at the residence. The chain the dog was on was no larger than eight feet long and there were water or food bowls for the animal. There were very few dog feces where the dog was chained indicating it had not had very much, if anything, to eat recently. It was underweight and would have starved to death in the near future. The officer had been to this residence in the past and knew the occupants. The officers knocked on the door for some time and found the front door unlocked. After going into the home and checking, it appeared no one lived at the home anymore. There were very few items in the house and not many in the yard. A neighbor walked up and stated that the couple had moved out of the home. The dog was taken to the Socorro Animal Shelter. The City of Socorro Animal Control Officer stated that he recognized the dog and when told who the owner was, he stated that he knew her and had cited the owner for similar incidents in the past. Officers checked several locations where the dog’s owner could be but was unable to contact her.

Nov. 21

• An officer heard a BOLO from dispatch at 6 p.m. for a white water tank truck that had been stolen out of Colorado and was seen near Socorro several hours earlier. An assisting deputy provided information that the truck might be parked on the south end of Socorro on Interstate 25. The officer found it parked on the southbound lane of the interstate at mile marker 147. A check on the license plate with NICIC confirmed that it had been stolen out of Colorado. There were no keys in the truck and a wrecker was called. The officer contacted the owner of the truck and informed him that the vehicle had been recovered. No suspects at this time and no other information.

Nov. 23

• A deputy assisted on a traffic stop in Magdalena at 9:30 a.m. where the female passenger was connected to a welfare check the day before. She had reported that her relationship with the male driver has become physical multiple times in the past week. A check with NCIC showed the male’s driver’s license was suspended /revoked. He was cited and released. The victim was given a contact number at El Puente safehouse.

Nov. 24

• A Sheriff’s detective received information at 1:24 p.m. that a stolen backhoe belonging to Wagner’s Rentals in Albuquerque may be located in Socorro. The officer met with a representative of the rental business in San Acacia where the backhoe, valued at $100,000, was identified. It was learned that this backhoe was being used by a local farmer who arrived on the scene a short time later. The farmer said he was unaware the backhoe was the property of the rental business and explained how he had come into possession of it. He said he met a male subject who claimed the backhoe was his and was willing to let the farmer use the backhoe in return for the farmer’s 1978 pickup. The detective’s subsequent investigation revealed that the male suspect had in his possession three stolen backhoes and two stolen Caterpillar steer skids. The suspect was charged with four Class 2 felonies, two Class 3 felonies, and an additional felony charge for fraud. The total value of the equipment stolen was estimated at over $250,000. He was booked into SCDC on the listed charges

• Officers were dispatched at approximately 2:30 p.m. to a residence on Polvadera Heights Road in reference to a suspicious 911 call, during which two males were heard yelling at each other and one yelling, “just shoot me,” and then a gunshot. Dispatch also stated that the caller advised that the male with the gun was leaving the scene in a Bronco. One of the males was located walking down Polvadera Heights Road and he stated that he did not have a gun but the male in the Bronco had the gun. Officers located the Bronco and spoke with the driver, who began telling them that he has had multiple issues with the other man in the past. When asked if he had a gun in his possession, he stated that he did. He stated that the other man (the suspect) went to pick up his son and the victim did not want him to take the child because of recent incidents. He explained that the suspect had just taken the son for about two weeks and left him with a sister who lives in Socorro. He stated that when the suspect began reaching into his vehicle trying to jerk the seat forward to grab his son, the victim pistol-whipped him on the back of his head. The suspect came toward him stating he was going to kill him. The victim said that because of his age and his physical condition he knew that he would not be able to fight the suspect so he shot at the ground next to him to scare him off. The suspect then left. When questioned by the officers, the suspect said he came to visit his son and the victim refused to let him. After apprising the District Attorney of the situation, an officer explained that charges for breaking and entering, as well as assault, would be filed on the suspect and that he was not to return to the victim’s residence. In addition, to avoid future incidents he may want to go to court so that a visitation schedule can be set in place.

Nov. 25

• A deputy was requested at 11 a.m. to Box Canyon in reference to a female subject who had fired several rounds and pointed a firearm at the reporting party. Dispatch gave a description of her vehicle and license plate and stated that the female with the firearm had a dog with her. The deputy was familiar with said vehicle as it had been reported to the department on other occasions regarding a male subject linked to the vehicle and that the subject had threatened violence with weapons. At the scene, the female was ordered to exit the vehicle and was placed into custody. She was very emotional, stating that she had been assaulted. She said that a big vehicle, which she described as a military type vehicle, pulled right alongside hers. Tire tracks on the scene did not support this statement. The vehicle tracks left by the other party were at least eight feet from her vehicle. She said a male and a female with two toddlers and two pit bulls exited the vehicle and that the pit bulls came towards her dogs. She told the people to get away from her due to social distancing and then took her pistol and shot several times into the mountain. She kept claiming she had been assaulted by the people parking close to her and letting their dogs out and that their dogs were being aggressive towards her dogs. She also said that the toddlers were trying to pet her dog. The officer then contacted the reporting party, who said that he and his family went to Box Canyon to engage in recreational activities. He said he pulled into the parking lot next to the truck, and his wife and kids and their dogs got out and he began to unload his hiking equipment. He said the suspect exited her vehicle and began yelling at him and his family to get away from her and then fired about three rounds into the hillside. At that, he immediately began to put his hiking equipment back into the vehicle and gather his family to leave. He said the female then pointed the gun towards him and his family and fired two more rounds over their heads. They left the area. The officer met with the suspect again who denied shooting over their heads or shooting in their direction. She repeated that it was she who was assaulted when they released their pit bulls and the toddlers started coming towards her and her dog. When the officer explained that the dogs being near her dog and their vehicle being parked near hers did not constitute assault, she then claimed that the other party’s dogs attacked hers. There was no evidence that her dog was attacked though she repeatedly pointed to the dog stating that it had been attacked, referencing the dog’s sweater. The officer could not observe any sign on the dog’s sweater or body indicating it was attacked. The suspect was released from custody but told that she would be criminally charged for her actions. Her Charter Arms .22 caliber pistol which she admitted to shooting was taken into evidence.

Nov. 30

• An officer was asked to take a report at the Socorro County Detention Center concerning an inmate fighting with two guards. A video of the incident shows two guards that were apparently telling the suspect to return to his cell and the suspect being actively defiant. The guard grabs the right wrist of the inmate and the inmate turns and punches the guard in the face multiple times. Two guards are able to grab the inmate and wrestle with him for a short time. The inmate is pushed away and the guard retrieves his can of OC spray and deploys it on the inmate. The inmate is handcuffed and let toward the exit of the pod. At the door to exit the pod, the suspect turns toward the guard and spits in the guard’s face. In his report, the guard states that while taking the suspect to be locked down in a single cell, the suspect kept telling him, “welcome to the world of Hep-C,” and asked if he was happy to now have Hep-C. The guard says that since he – as a guard – has known the suspect he has stated that he is both Hep-C and HIV positive numerous times.