VISITOR IN THE NIGHT

Prewitt, April 28

After a woman unexpectedly showed up at his house at midnight one night, a Prewitt man was left with a shattered car window.

On April 28 at 12:14 am McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Galvin Panteah was dispatched to 3 Elyse Drive in Prewitt because a man had called in saying his car’s window had been shattered.

When he arrived at the house Panteah met with the victim who explained that a woman named Relda Martinez showed up at his house unexpectedly at midnight and punched him. After she punched him, the man said Martinez left, but eventually came back.

The Panteah man stated that he heard glass break and he saw Martinez leave his property in a grey Toyota Corolla before he noticed that his car’s window had been shattered.

The man did not know Martinez’s license plate number, but he suggested she was probably going back to her house in Haystack. He didn’t know her address.

Panteah asked the man if Martinez had possibly been drunk, and the man stated he didn’t know. In the report he filed with the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, Panteah noted that the victim had a small cut on the inside of his bottom lip, although he said he was fine and that he didn’t need any medical attention.

Panteah also saw that the man’s red 2003 Chevy Malibu’s driver’s side window was broken. The deputy found small pieces of a beer bottle on the ground next to the driver’s door. The victim estimated that the damage would cost him $500 to fix.

CLUES AT THE WINDOWS

Yatahey, April 25

A couple called the police after they noticed that their house windows were cracked.

On April 25, at 8:43 pm McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Jerald Watchman was dispatched to the scene at 18 South La Bah Drive in Yatahey.

When he arrived on scene, Watchman met with the male victim, who explained that his house windows were cracked. The man said his wife noticed the damage that morning.

In the report he filed with the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, Watchman noted there were pry marks on the outer frame of the living room window and cracks in the corners of the lower part of the window. He also found pry marks on two separate bedroom windows. It appeared as if someone had been trying to get into the house.

The male victim said no one had actually gotten inside and nothing had been stolen. Watchman estimated that the damages would cost about $700 to fix.

Watchman did not see any footprints around the house besides those of the victim. The victim said that about two months ago his neighbor had chased off someone who had been trying to get through a window, but the victim said he hadn’t reported it at the time.

STRANDED AT THE SPEEDWAY

Church Rock, April 24

What one man thought was going to just be a night out drinking with his nephew turned into something very different.

On April 24, at about 8:20 pm McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Nocona Clark was dispatched to Deadhorse Speedway in Church Rock, N.M. on a call about a stolen vehicle.

When Clark arrived at the scene, he met the victim, a man from Church Rock. The victim explained that he had been drinking with his nephew Armando Lee when his nephew stole his gray 2017 Toyota Frontier.

The Church Rock man said they had stopped at Deadhorse Speedway to get gas, but when he went into the store, Lee drove off with his SUV. He left the gas station going northbound on State Highway 66. The victim said his nephew was wearing a black hoodie and black pants.

In the report he filed with the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, Clark noted that the victim warned him to be careful when dealing with Lee because he had just gotten out of prison and he might have a .22 caliber rifle with him. The man said Lee usually stays in Pinedale, but that he does sometimes stay in Gallup.

Clark gave Metro Dispatch a description of the suspect and the SUV. The vehicle was entered into the National Crime Information Center as stolen.

GOOD SAMARITAN CALLS IN REPORT

Gamerco, April 23

A good Samaritan called police out to check on his neighbor’s truck when its alarm was triggered while he was out of town.

On April 23 at 8:21 pm McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Galvin Panteah was dispatched on the call.

When he arrived at 900 Granite St. in Gamerco, Panteah met with Clarence and Marie Salas, who told him that the alarm on a red Dodge Ram with New Mexico plates that was parked next door at 901 Granite St. was going off. Clarence said that Gilbert Huber owned the house next door and that he worked in Albuquerque and only returned to Gamerco on the weekends.

Clarence explained that he had already told Huber about the alarm.

Clarence asked Panteah to check the vehicle in front of his neighbor’s house for any damages. Panteah didn’t see anything wrong with the front of the house or the truck, but the truck was unlocked.

In the report he filed with the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, Panteah noted that there was a silver .45 caliber pistol in the driver door storage pocket and some ammunition on the floor. Panteah told Clarence about what he had seen in the truck and Clarence called Huber, putting him on speaker phone so that he could speak with Panteah.

Huber asked Panteah to give his pistol to Clarence, saying that he would get it back from him when he got back from Albuquerque. Huber asked Panteah to lock the truck.

ABANDONED GUN

Thoreau, April 20

A man was out on a bike ride with his two sons in Thoreau when they came upon a gun.

On April 20, around 10:30 am McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Miguel Bittony  was dispatched to the scene at the I-40 eastbound exit 53 on-ramp.

When he arrived Bittony met Michael Patrick Martinez, who had seen a black pistol lying in the dirt. Martinez said he had picked up the weapon, noticed it was cracked, and that’s when he called 911.

Bittony took the firearm from Martinez. In the report he filed with the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, Bittony noted “Pietro Beretta,” “Gardone V.T.” and “AJE024807” were etched into the handgun. The deputy found nothing else suspicious in the area.

The top slide of the pistol was cracked into two pieces and there was no firing pin when Martinez found it. Metro Dispatch ran a weapons check, but could not identify the gun or its owner.

It was placed in McKinley County Evidence at 6:19 pm.