A notice of dismissal was filed on Monday, and the case was dismissed without prejudice. According to online court records, Terrance Garcia filed an employment discrimination complaint in January, accusing Romero of sexually harassing him while he worked at the Cuba Police Department. You have permission to edit this article. Penzone has said he will push for more transparency and to refocus the agency on law enforcement. As I was investigating that I started getting lots of calls from other people about concerns they had that Sheriff Lujan had done other things, said 9th Judicial District Attorney Andrea Reeb. Lujan was convicted in a December jury trail of felony counts of aiding a felon and intimidating a witness. In this time, he opened a new jail on top of the First Avenue Courthouse, according toArizona Fraternal Order of Police. They had my arms. The Santa Fe jury did the job they were asked to do. The case of "trunk murderess" Winnie Ruth Juddwas the major media case during his time in office, as well as the Depression-era labor riots. Stay informed of the latest local news by receiving emails as soon as news is posted online. KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Hill established psychiatric units in jails, as well as built the Towers Jail and the Bell/Dysart Substation and jail. A state grand jury will begin hearing evidence in its investigation of the North Central Solid Waste Authority on April 24, following decades of allegations of financial and operational mismanagement, predatory collections practices and, more recently, the death of an employee, court records show. She thought it was "utterly inappropriate" for Lujan's supporters to hold a barbecue on court grounds during his trial without discussing it with her, she added. The trial was his second in the case; a June trial in a Tierra Amarilla courtroom ended with a jury deadlocked 8-4 in favor of acquittal. I was basically guilty until I proved myself innocent, he said. 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. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Sheriff Lujan believes hes above the law, Special Prosecutor Andrea Reeb said during her opening statement, and the jury agreed. 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. 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. In the months after the incident, Lattin said, Lujan told him about 30 times not to tell anyone about their interaction. 'Wow, I'm handcuffed,' Sheriff Lujan said to . Back in May, Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan was arrested after refusing to hand over his cell phone when Espaola Police, with the help of the Taos County Sheriff's Office,. A. Casados ruled there was no probable cause for the charges. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Navarrette was out with friends at the time of the arrest, the report said. This contributed to Blubaum not being reelected for another term. A man of firsts, George Mowry was the first sheriff to serve two consecutive terms, which he did from 1875 to 1878. Napoleon Garcia, who said he is not related to Montoya, added he knew about the incident with Montoyas vehicle, but he didnt try to cover it up, and in fact placed Montoya on unpaid leave over the incident. Many, if not most should be considered armed and dangerous. A few months later, he died from natural causes,according toArizona Fraternal Order of Police. Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan, who replaced a sheriff convicted in a road-rage case, is now the target of a new investigation himself. Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan was sentenced on Thursday morning after being convicted of aiding a felon and intimidating a witness. After consulting with law enforcement officials in both Espaola and Taos, it was decided that Trujillos retirement would be a good way to resolve it.. The charges, which were later dismissed by prosecutors, were based on false statements filed by a team of officers with histories of misconduct, dishonesty, and crimes. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin was found not guilty Wednesday of a misdemeanor charge of failing to register House approves retail crime bill that could lead to Amid a recent rise in retail theft, a bill giving prosecutors the ability to charge individuals convicted of stealing large amounts of merchandise from I-40 westbound closed overnight in Gallup; storm headed to New Mexico is shutting down Interstate New Mexico is shutting down Interstate 40 westbound in Gallup in response to a winter storm in Arizona. Newly obtained body camera video captured an Arizona sheriff's deputy using a racial slur and pleading to be let off the hook after an officer pulled him over in December on . Despite efforts by the defense to convince jurors that Lujan didnt know that Chacon would be charged with fleeing Espaola police, or that he was concerned for public safety following a high-speed chase, the jury found him guilty on both counts. There, Navarrette asked the officer why he didn't give him a pass, according to the footage. Lujan also resigned from his position following this conviction. This is also who Broadway Road in Phoenix isnamed after. During his time in office, Blubaum made controversial moves as he did not hire many compensated deputies during his term. Reeb dismissed two other counts of the same charge, related to Lujans failure to cooperate with Espaola officers and Taos County sheriffs deputies who arrived at the Rio Arriba County Sheriffs Office in May 2020 to execute search warrants for his cellphones. Rio Arriba County officials, including some of those named in the lawsuit, vehemently denied allegations in the suit and pointed to the events leading to Aquinos firing as justification for his dismissal. The county agreed to pay $75,000 to settle the lawsuit in December, according to Rio Arriba County Attorney Adn Trujillo. The Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office is committed to working in a problem-solving partnership. FILE - In this July 6, 2010 photo, former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, foreground, and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio give a news conference in Phoenix on regarding the U.S. Justice . Danny Garcia, whose term ended late last year, said Friday he had no knowledge of the issues described in the complaint. Dont put my f------ career at risk.. Mummert also introduced civilian replacements for deputies as radio dispatchers and jail guards. Trujillo faces up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Bowles brought up Lattins past disciplinary actions for lying to fellow police officers about his military experience. The charters Trump cowboy found not guilty of campaign finance charge. McGarry Ellenwood was appointed to the District Court bench in July 2020, less than a year before Lujan's trial. 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. "Our officers handled themselves in a professional manner, as they would with any subject they encounter," the ASU Police Department said in a statement. One flaw is there is no official statewide repository of Brady list officers or uniform standards. He is also the namesake of the award the Sheriff's Office presents to the volunteer of the year. Stay informed of the latest local news by receiving emails as soon as news is posted online. Aquino says in his complaint Lujan originally acted as if his altercation with Vigil was no big deal but later opened an internal affairs investigation and encouraged New Mexico State Police to pursue charges against him after he gave a case file containing allegations of wrongdoing by Lujan and other county officials to the state Attorney Generals Office. Aquinos complaint says he believed Napoleon Garcia and Montoya were attempting to conceal and tamper with evidence related to the crash that damaged the vehicle. Trujillo directed his officers to draw their weapons against the Taos County Sheriff's deputies and Espanola police officers, who were at the Rio Arriba Sheriff's Office serving search warrants. How much have you had to drink tonight? the officer asked. The verdict was handed down in the mid-afternoon following his second trial for harboring a felon and intimidation of a witness. She previously reported for the Rio Grande Sun. His farm was located between Seventh and 23rd avenues on the south side of what we now call Broadway Road, according to Arizona Fraternal Order of Police. Lujan turned in his resignation following the verdict. Local News. It was Officer Richard Mueller, whos worked for four different law enforcement agencies. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. 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. This means the single fourth-degree felony count could be refiled if Trujillo does not retire, this according to special prosecutor Andrea Reeb. The Sheriff's Posse was nationally recognized during Hill's time, and President Ronald Regan visited Sun City Posse Headquarters during this time. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. 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