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Thursday, Mar 28th

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Weekly Police Activity Report

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STABBING DEBACLE

5/13, Yahtahey

The McKinley County Sheriff”s Office is looking for a man who stabbed a St. Michaels man in the arm Monday, north of Yah-Ta-Hey. They are also looking for the victim who was discovered to have two bench warrants outstanding from Bernallilo County.

Deputy Garylie James was dispatched to an area about 15 miles north of Gallup on U. S. Highway 491 about 6 pm about a man who had been stabbed. The man, Tony Lilly, 28, told James said he and the man, whose name he said was Ty, had gotten in a scuffle and Lilly was stabbed in the arm.

Lilly said all he knew of the suspect was his name but he said the two men were stopped earlier in the day by another deputy who told them to cut out the fighting or they were going to jail.

Since neither wanted to go to jail, they walked away but then got into it again a short time later. Lilly said the other deputy may have a photo of the suspect on his unit’s video camera but it turned out that the deputy had been using a loaner that did not have a camera.

Lilly had been taken to the hospital for treatment of his stab wound and when James found out about the outstanding bench warrants for aggravated battery, he had already been released.

NO CHURCH SANCTUARY

5/12, Ft. Wingate

A Thoreau man, accused of stealing a car, was later found hiding out in a church and arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle.

Arvin J. Billy, 22, is also facing charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The incident began about 5:30 pm in Gallup with city police chasing a 2017 330 Renegade that had been reported stolen earlier that day. The city police continued the pursuit as the vehicle got on to Interstate 40 heading east, but turned over the chase to the county sheriff’s office at about the 30 mile marker.

Deputy Anthony Morales said as he went out in pursuit, he was told by Metro Dispatch that the vehicle had been found in the parking lot if the Iyanbito Church so he headed over there.

When he got there, he was told by the pastor that the man driving the vehicle had run into the church and was hiding underneath the swamp cooler.

Morales said he entered the church and have the man a verbal command to come out with his hands up. The man complied with the command and was arrested.

Morales said he was able to identify the suspect as Arvin Billy since had had encounters with him in the past. He said when he did an inventory of the vehicle, he found several cell phones that the owner said did not belong to her.

He also found a loaded syringe containing a brown liquid underneath the driver’s side seat. He recognized the liquid as being heroin. He also found a clear plastic baggie with what appeared to be methamphetamine inside of it near the other side of the vehicle.

Since there was only one male subject seen in the vehicle during the pursuit, Billy was also charged with possession of the drugs.

SUSPECTS SOUGHT IN BEATING

5/12, Thoreau

A Thoreau man reported being beaten by unknown subjects Sunday.

The man, Maxson Calladitto, was in the Thoreau Giant station when deputies found him about 2 am.  Clerks there said he walked into the business covered in blood. He appeared to have been beaten up.

Calladitto told deputies he got jumped by some males on the west side of BJ’s Kountry Store. He said the men were in a white car. When asked if he knew who they were, he said no.

He said he did remember losing consciousness and then waking up and walking to the Giant gas station.  He was taken to the Crownpoint Indian Hospital. The suspects were not found.

STEALING FROM GOODWILL

5/9, GALLUP

A Gallup man is facing aggravated battery and shoplifting charges after he attempted to steal clothing from the Gallup Goodwill store and broke the wrist of a security guard when she tried to keep him from leaving.

Nicolas Montoya, 28, was also found to have four warrants out for his arrest.

The incident occurred about noon on May 9.

According to employee at the Goodwill Store, Montoya came in and went to the clothing section of the store and put three pairs of shirts under his own shorts and then had numerous other pieces of clothing in his hand when he tried to walk out without paying for them.

The security guard, Yolanda Nez, stood in front of him to keep him from leaving at which time he reportedly shoved her and slammed her to the ground where she injured her left arm. Hospital officials later said it appeared to be broken.

Montoya was booked without incident for the charges of aggravated battery, shoplifting, and outstanding warrants.

A DOWNTOWN FRACAS

5/7, Gallup

An Albuquerque man is facing several felony charges after he attacked several people downtown on May 7, and threatened them with a knife.

Roger Piño Jr., 36, has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count each of armed robbery, attempt to commit a felony, robbery, tampering with evidence and resisting arrest.

Patrolman Dewayne Holder said he and sever other police officers were dispatched to Camille’s Sidewalk Café, 306 East Second Street about 2 pm because of a report of a man with a knife trying to get into a fight with people in the area.

When he got there, people were pointing at West and gave a description of the suspect. Holder said he got back in his unit and after a few minutes, he saw a man matching the description at the ATM machine operated by Washington Federal Bank. He appeared to be confronting a driver near the ATM machine.

Holder said he told the man to get on the ground, but he started running away. Police pursued him for several blocks and during the chase, Holder said he saw the man pull out a knife and throw it into the pavement.

Piño was finally taken down by several private citizens who saw him being chased. They held him until Holder arrived and placed handcuffs on him as Piño reportedly continued to kick anyone who came close to him.

A police investigation revealed that the incident began about a half hour earlier when Piño approached a Gallup city work crew who was doing some work in the walkway. Eddie Brown said Piño approached him and asked for the city phone number, and he told him to go away. Piño came back a short time later holding a knife.

Holder said he learned that Piño then confronted Tony Sanchez near the walkway. He said he saw the man arguing with a city work crew who appeared to be intoxicated. Sanchez said he told the man to go away and then the man acted as if he was going to hit him.

Sanchez said he backed away and the man then pulled out a big knife, causing Sanchez to run away as the man ran after him holding the knife.

Sanchez said he noticed the man quit chasing him so he slowed down only to see that the man began chasing him again. At that point, police arrived and started pursuing the man.

Angelina Murphy said Piño confronted her as she was at an ATM at Washington Federal. She said as he came up to her, he appeared to be holding a socket wrench which he was apparently prepared to use to break her driver’s side window.

She said she backed away and he began chasing her car. She made it out of the parking lot and saw the man start harassing another motorist.

That driver, William Wilson, told police he was withdrawing money from the ATM when Piño threw a bag at his car. He demanded that Wilson give him a ride, but when Wilson said no, he demanded that Wilson give him everything he had – phone, wallet, and money.

Wilson said he then saw Holder and signaled to him he needed help. Piño was booked for two counts of aggravated assault, armed robbery, robbery, attempt to commit a felony, tampering with evidence, and fleeing evading or attempting to evade an officer.

CAR BURGLAR THWARTED

5/2, GALLUP

Gallup Police descended into the area around the Downtown Walkway on May 2 and arrested an Albuquerque man who reportedly broke into a car and stole a variety of items.

Richard Gantar, 34, was charged with burglary of a vehicle and criminal damage to property.

The incident began about 4:30 pm when Gallup Police Officer Dewayne Holder responded to a call of a vehicle burglary at 401 E. Coal Ave.

Witnesses were able to give him a description of the suspect and several police officers began patrolling the area, finding him near Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe. He was detained without incident. They identified Gantar as the man they saw break into the vehicle.

Several witnesses at the scene told police they saw Gantar break the window of the vehicle with a bar, reach inside and take out several items. The owner of the vehicle reported that beside breaking the window, he had stolen $350 in cash as well as credit cards.