Post by WaTcHeR on Feb 12, 2006 13:53:01 GMT -5
02/12/2006 - FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO -- An Aztec police officer was arrested Saturday afternoon in connection with a drive-by shooting that occurred earlier that morning.
Jose Martinez, 21, of Aztec, was charged with harboring or aiding a felon, a fourth-degree felony.
He, his girlfriend, and his cousin were allegedly in his truck when his cousin fired at a house. Martinez did not report the incident to police and when first questioned denied any knowledge of it.
Martinez, an officer with the Aztec Police Department since September 2005, is no longer working for the department, said Aztec Police Chief Mike Heal.
Heal said Martinez passed the department's background test when he was hired, and had a "very clean" record.
"We do the best we can to do background checks to make sure nothing like this would ever happen," Heal said.
Heal said this is the first time an officer in his department was involved in a drive-by shooting.
Martinez' cousin, Angela Garcia, 24, of Flora Vista, was charged with shooting from a motor vehicle, aggravated assault and tampering with evidence, all fourth-degree felonies, according to San Juan County Sheriff's Office Capt. Tim Black.
Martinez' girlfriend has not been charged at this time, Black said.
Martinez, while off-duty on Saturday morning, reportedly got into an argument several people in the parking lot of Sunray Park and Casino. When deputies arrived at 1:45 a.m., the crowd had dispersed and police action was taken.
Half an hour later, deputies responded to a report of shots being fired from a vehicle at a home on County Road 3010. John Candelaria, one of the individuals Martinez had reportedly argued with earlier, lived in the home.
Candelaria told deputies that he had been standing outside his house when a pickup truck drove by and someone inside the truck fired several shots. He said he believed Martinez had been inside the truck at the time of the shooting.
No injuries were reported.
Deputies found two .380-caliber shell casings in the road near Candelaria's house.
Martinez reportedly denied any knowledge of the shooting when questioned by deputies, but eventually cooperated and said he had been in the back seat of his truck when the shooting occurred, Black said.
Martinez said Garcia had been sitting in the passenger seat of the truck driven by his girlfriend. He said he believed they were going to visit one of Garcia's friends. Garcia instead gave directions that led them to Candelaria's home.
"Before he knew what was happening, Garcia had fired several rounds from a pistol into the air," the press release states.
The three left the house and drove Garcia to her home on County Road 3257 because Martinez "did not want (Garcia) to get in trouble," the release states.
Garcia denied any involvement in the shooting when first approached by deputies, but later admitted to hiding the pistol which police later found.
Garcia and Martinez have are at the San Juan County Detention Center on $25,000 cash-only bonds.
Jose Martinez, 21, of Aztec, was charged with harboring or aiding a felon, a fourth-degree felony.
He, his girlfriend, and his cousin were allegedly in his truck when his cousin fired at a house. Martinez did not report the incident to police and when first questioned denied any knowledge of it.
Martinez, an officer with the Aztec Police Department since September 2005, is no longer working for the department, said Aztec Police Chief Mike Heal.
Heal said Martinez passed the department's background test when he was hired, and had a "very clean" record.
"We do the best we can to do background checks to make sure nothing like this would ever happen," Heal said.
Heal said this is the first time an officer in his department was involved in a drive-by shooting.
Martinez' cousin, Angela Garcia, 24, of Flora Vista, was charged with shooting from a motor vehicle, aggravated assault and tampering with evidence, all fourth-degree felonies, according to San Juan County Sheriff's Office Capt. Tim Black.
Martinez' girlfriend has not been charged at this time, Black said.
Martinez, while off-duty on Saturday morning, reportedly got into an argument several people in the parking lot of Sunray Park and Casino. When deputies arrived at 1:45 a.m., the crowd had dispersed and police action was taken.
Half an hour later, deputies responded to a report of shots being fired from a vehicle at a home on County Road 3010. John Candelaria, one of the individuals Martinez had reportedly argued with earlier, lived in the home.
Candelaria told deputies that he had been standing outside his house when a pickup truck drove by and someone inside the truck fired several shots. He said he believed Martinez had been inside the truck at the time of the shooting.
No injuries were reported.
Deputies found two .380-caliber shell casings in the road near Candelaria's house.
Martinez reportedly denied any knowledge of the shooting when questioned by deputies, but eventually cooperated and said he had been in the back seat of his truck when the shooting occurred, Black said.
Martinez said Garcia had been sitting in the passenger seat of the truck driven by his girlfriend. He said he believed they were going to visit one of Garcia's friends. Garcia instead gave directions that led them to Candelaria's home.
"Before he knew what was happening, Garcia had fired several rounds from a pistol into the air," the press release states.
The three left the house and drove Garcia to her home on County Road 3257 because Martinez "did not want (Garcia) to get in trouble," the release states.
Garcia denied any involvement in the shooting when first approached by deputies, but later admitted to hiding the pistol which police later found.
Garcia and Martinez have are at the San Juan County Detention Center on $25,000 cash-only bonds.