A Gallup man took his chances at trying to escape from police last month, and now wants to take another chance at a formal trial to possibly do away with some criminal charges, according to court papers.

Isaac Padilla, 23, took Gallup police and officers from the Middle Rio Grande Valley Task Force on a high speed car chase May 3 after the cops and task force members pursued him on suspected drug charges. Padilla was arraigned last week on felony drug and aggravated fleeing charges, records show.

The police agencies were watching a residence on East Princeton Avenue where some suspected drug dealers were believed to be staying and doing business, records show. The police saw a silver...

NAME: Jerald William Chee

AGE: 44

BOOKED: 6/3/17

NOTES: Open Container

NAME: Ryan Kim Tsosie

AGE: 37

BOOKED: 5/27/17

NOTES: Open Container

NAME: Nathan Begay

AGE: 29

BOOKED: 5/25/17

NOTES: Accident

NAME: Delicia Begay

AGE: 18

BOOKED: 5/20/17

NOTES: Open Container

NAME: Victoria Lynn Pinto

AGE: 25

BOOKED: 2/16/17

NAME: Myron Joe

AGE: 26

BOOKED: 2/16/17

NOTES: Open Container

 

NAME: Franklin Arthur

AGE: 40

BOOKED: 2/11/17

NOTES: Open Container

 

NAME: Veronica Bedonie

AGE: 33

BOOKED: 2/11/17

NOTES: Open Container

Arson is believed to be the preliminary cause behind a fire that occurred in the early morning hours of June 11, at 502 S. 2nd St., close  to the Old Post Office, officials said.

Gallup Deputy Fire Chief Jesus Morales said at about 5:50 am that firefighters responded to a report of a door on fire at the residential structure. Morales said the two-story brick structure was engulfed in flames and a small fire was burning in the back of the home when firefighters arrived on the scene.

“A quick response and attack allowed fire personnel to extinguish the flames to the exterior,” Morales said. “There were also several small fires in the stairwell.”

Morales said the brunt of the...

One person dead

THOREAU – Around 1 pm on June 9, New Mexico State Police officers investigated a fatal crash on I-40 near mile marker 53 in McKinley County. The initial investigation indicated a recreational vehicle traveling westbound left the roadway, crossed the median, and went into oncoming traffic.

The RV then collided with a semi-tractor trailer traveling eastbound. Debris from both vehicles was scattered in a wide area along both lanes of eastbound traffic. The tractor-trailer blocked both lanes after sliding to a stop on the east side of the bridge, and traffic in that direction was backed up for several miles to the west, in both lanes.

Eastbound traffic was diverted from...