"Dont put my f------ career at risk," the deputy can be heard telling an officer in footage of the arrest. That doesnt even make sense, that somebody would literally tell somebody else 30 times not to say something, Bowles said during his opening arguments. This Rio Arriba County New Mexico Most Wanted List posts the top 50-100 fugitive criminals on the run. Receive a list of headlines from the latest edition of The New Mexican in your inbox every morning. During his time in office, Blubaum made controversial moves as he did not hire many compensated deputies during his term. Penzone has said he will push for more transparency and to refocus the agency on law enforcement. A notice of dismissal was filed on Monday, and the case was dismissed without prejudice. Former Rio Arriba County sheriffs Deputy Joseph Aquino has filed a whistleblower lawsuit that claims he was fired on a trumped-up charge of excessive use of force after uncovering wrongdoing by well-connected county officials and employees. Rio Arriba County Seat: 149 State Rd. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Wilson Wong is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News Digital. The Rio Arriba County Commission on Dec. 6 appointed then Maj. Billy Merrifield a seven-year veteran of the sheriffs office to fill Lujans post until the voters chose a new sheriff in 2023. Lujans predecessor, Tommy Rodella, is serving a 10-year sentence in federal prison for roughing up a motorist and brandishing a firearm during an encounter in 2014. By Phaedra Haywood Your real name will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more! Pinal County Sheriff's Deputy Julian Navarrette is the subject of an internal investigation after he was arrested for DUI in Tempe in December, 2020. The Sheriff's Posse was nationally recognized during Hill's time, and President Ronald Regan visited Sun City Posse Headquarters during this time. He achievements span from expandingposses in number and function, to using bloodhounds for searching. The American Civil Liberties Union and Rothstein Donatelli LLC have filed a lawsuit against the Rio Arriba Sheriff's Office (RASO) on behalf of Tabitha Clay, a reporter who was reportedly harassed by the county's deputies in 2019. During his first term he created the "Urgency Fund," which eliminated the delays of deputies being refunded for work expenses. Lattin said he overheard Lujan on the phone with Chacon and followed Lujan to where they met up. He believes the entire department needs to be shut down with the towns law enforcement responsibilities taken over by the county sheriff. Former Rio Arriba deputy sues, claiming firing was retaliation. Although he is most remembered for his 56 years in Congress, Carl Hayden served as the last territorial sheriff from 1907 to 1912. At the time Saucedo said he overheard those words, Lujan was allegedly helping Chacon evade Espaola police. Lujan was convicted in a December jury trail of felony counts of aiding a felon and intimidating a witness. The Town of Superior did not respond to an email request for comment. Invitational brings 16 NM brewery together for a stout 2023 Stout Invitational, hosted by Bathtub 2023 Stout Invitational, hosted by Bathtub Row Brewing Co-Op, 163 Central Park Square in Los Alamos, will be held from noon to 6 p.m. "MANIA: The ABBA Tribute" is scheduled "MANIA: The ABBA Tribute" is scheduled to play the KiMo Theatre on Sunday, March 5, as part of its United States tour. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. Want more news like this? In 2012, while working for Phoenix police, Sosa was arrested for DUI and unlawful flight after he sped away from officers at 80 to 85 miles per hour, records show. Soriano had been arrested by police earlier in the day. The jurors felt their conversations could be heard by people outside the courtroom. Officer Ensley and a reserve officer found Maughn at a gas station the next day. Attorneys on both sides in the trial of Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan said a lot of bad apples were involved in the incident that led to his arrest in March 2017 but who exactly those bad apples are depends on who was asked. Each county attorneys office keeps their own list in their own way, applying all different standards for what misconduct belongs. That's just wrong. Multiple people in the community echoed Saucedos feelings that justice had been served in this instance, as did Reeb. According to the lawsuit, Aquino gave his case file to the state Attorney Generals Office in late May 2019 after telling Lujan and other supervisors what hed found. Lawrence was later fired from Superior for having sex on duty, "sexting" on duty in uniform, texting photos of dead bodies to people, and illegally searching his sexual partner in confidential databases. There was also a major increase in "uncompensated deputies" during this time,according toArizona Fraternal Order of Police. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Lujans was sentenced to three years in prison, and was remanded into custody. Email addresses are used solely for verification and to speed the verification process for repeat questioners. The officers from the other agencies were trying to confiscate Lujans cellphone at the Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office headquarters in Espaola, after charges were filed against him. During his time in office he made a Planning and Research division as well as expanded communications, such as the 9-1-1 system. In this time, he opened a new jail on top of the First Avenue Courthouse, according toArizona Fraternal Order of Police. At 22.5 years, Luther C. "Cal" Boies was the longest sheriff to hold office before Arpaio, from 1946-68,according toArizona Fraternal Order of Police. It also alleges Napoleon Garcia knew about the damage to the county vehicle but failed to report it because Montoya was related to him. Albuquerque Talent Development Academy while Albuquerque Talent Development Academy while turning down that of another, El Camino Real Academy. This was the same day Lattin testified at Lujans preliminary hearing. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, War, anger cloud Ukrainian athletes path to Paris, No. Aug. 20A state district judge ruled Friday that Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan is too well-known in the county to stand trial there and a criminal case against him will be heard, instead, in Santa Fe. Petersons charges were eventually dropped. It was reported that he was suffering from terminal cancer. Former Rio Arriba County sheriffs Deputy Joseph Aquino gets into an altercation in March 2019 with George Vigil, an employee at Family Dollar in Chimay. Noah Broadway was an original Phoenix settler, and along with being a Civil War veteran and farmer, he was sheriff of Maricopa County from 1885 to 1886. Ernest Roach served for a brief time from 1945-46, before Luther Boies took over to finish his term after Roach's death, according toArizona Fraternal Order of Police. phaywood@sfnewmexican.com, Newly elected Santa Fe County magistrate arrested on DWI charge, Police: Walmart shooting suspect's case dismissed under DA's DWI policy, Santa Fe Bite has new owners, but old owners remain on board, Another troubled Espaola complex teeters, Accused judge removed from bench in wake of DWI charge, Longtime weatherman forecasts a new life outside TV, Concerns crop up about old assault charges against Indian Affairs appointee, Yo, Governor: You're not paying for the highways, Farmer switching crops: No green in chile anymore, Predictions: Horsemen go all the way; Demons upset everyone, Volunteer adopts dog who struggled to find permanent home, Peacenik vs. secretive senator for Capitol dishonor. Former Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan, already a convicted felon, pleaded no contest Wednesday to a charge accusing him of interfering with a March 2020 operation by Espaola police officers who were serving a warrant on his friend, former Espaola City Councilor Phillip Chacon. Manriquezs attorneys also claim Officer Ensley used false and misleading information to obtain a search warrant of his home by claiming it was the primary residence of his nephew, John Soriano. The charges followed a 2017 incident where Lujan, as sheriff, helped Phillip Chacon avoid capture by the local Espaola police department. During this time he considered sending juveniles toCoconino County and having female prisoners housed in Phoenix. One of the officers pursuing him, Martin Sosa, has his own similar criminal history. If youre an officer, you should be fired one time, Peterson said. "While all elected officials have a duty to fulfill the . An ABC15 investigation found Superior's police force is filled with discredited cops, who've been enabled by a broken Brady list system that lets them escape lasting accountability and keeps . This contributed to Blubaum not being reelected for another term. Many of the allegations center on three blood relatives: former Rio Arriba County Commissioner Danny Garcia; his nephew, Rio Arriba County Public Works Administrator Napoleon Garcia; and Napoleon Garcias son, Terrance Garcia, a former police officer in the village of Cuba who also has worked at the Rio Arriba County jail. Superior police claimed he resisted arrest. Choose wisely! If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. "America's Toughest Sheriff" was dethroned in the 2016 election by Paul Penzone, and ended his 24 years in office, the longest run of any sheriff in Maricopa County. The road to those decisions was rocky. The Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office is committed to working in a problem-solving partnership. He attended the University of New Mexico, where he majored in multimedia journalism. The fact that youre telling me that tells me you shouldnt be an officer," the officer said. [WARNING: The video below contains police violence and graphic language]. Lujans trial is scheduled to continue through Thursday. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Best known for a more depressing term, John Elliot Walker committed suicide with just two weeks left of his term from 1905 to 1906. Afterward, Lattin said the sheriff repeatedly told him not to tell anyone what had happened. Its a chaotic scene thats easier to understand by watching. One of the key officers in Peterson's arrest was Christian Ensley. In 2010, he was required to undergo a psychological evaluation that determined, he may be a poor candidate due to his moral self-righteousness, possible adjustment challenges, may be overly sensitive to criticism, and may be rigid and inflexible in his thinking., Another officer involved in the arrest was Commander Anthony Doran, who was previously fired from the Pima County Sheriffs Office for having sex on duty, records show. He is also accused of three counts of resisting, obstructing or evading an officer in a related case pertaining to his arrest in the first case for failing to unlock a cellphone for police to review. According to reporting done by the Albuquerque Journal, Trujillo had been charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer for an incident that occurred on May 21, 2020. I thought I was going to go in there, get my friend, and I was going to leave, he said. According to reporting done by the Albuquerque Journal, Trujillo had been charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer for an incident that occurred on May 21, 2020. From 1899 to 1900, David Murray served as sheriff. The District Attorney told KRQE News 13 that it was her understanding that Lujan resigned Wednesday a few hours after his conviction. For instance, Bowles read Lattins statement from the cases preliminary hearing, in which Lattin said he wasnt aware of Chacons charges the night of the incident. 22 TCU wins 75-73 to deny No. Campos said Montoya didnt want to comment on the allegations. ESPAOLA - Attorneys have taken an initial step toward suing the Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office, which is accused of retaliating against a journalist as she reported on use of force at a . The case will now be assigned to District Court and will be scheduled for an arraignment. 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