ARREST MADE
Gallup man charged in brutal dragging incident

During a press conference Friday evening, Gallup police chief Sylvester Stanley announes that John Pete Talamante, 24 and from Gallup, was arrested by members of his department in connection with Sunday's incident where Fausto Arellano was tied to the back of a pick-up truck and dragged for more than a mile. Stanley stressed during the announcement that the crime was drug related and not a racially motivated attack as several madia agencies have previously speculated. Lt. Gerald Tholund is one of several officers involved with the on-going investigation and Stanley expects more arrests to be made in the near future. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

By Leslie Wood
Staff Writer

John Pete Talamante

GALLUP — Gallup police arrested a 24-year-old Gallup native on Friday afternoon in connection with the brutal dragging of 32-year-old Fausto Arellano for almost a mile.

John Pete Talamante was booked into the Gallup-McKinley County Adult Detention Center on felony charges of kidnapping, aggravated battery and aggravated assault with the intent to commit a violent crime.

Arellano was bound by the ankles on Easter Sunday, strapped to a truck and dragged for at least 4,000 feet before he was discovered critically injured at Lot-A-Burger east by a passer-by.

A witness reported to police that he looked into his rear view mirror and was shocked to see a pickup truck dragging a man. He made a U-turn and followed the truck to an intersection where he saw Arellano fall off the rope. Arellano then crawled to the side of the road and collapsed.

The first officer on the scene couldn't understand Arellano, who spoke only Spanish. The officer called a Spanish-speaking officer, and Arellano was able to tell them he'd been dragged from his apartment complex.

Warden Donna Goodrich said Talamante was "pretty fired up" when he arrived at the jail. "He's saying he didn't do it."

Gallup Police Chief Sylvester Stanley said narcotics were an indirect motive that contributed to the assault.

"Narcotics were involved," Stanley said. "But, I'm not saying the victim was involved with drugs."

The arrest followed reports of an alleged break in the case. However, Stanley denied the arrest or existence of suspects until a 6:30 p.m. news conference.

He said Talamante was arrested as he rode as a passenger through Gallup, but did not release the specific location of the stop. Additional arrests in connection with the case are expected, he said.

Arellano remains in critical condition in the University of New Mexico Hospital's burn and trauma unit in Albuquerque. Stanley said the single father of two boys, ages 16 and 11, is still unable to communicate with investigators regarding the case and did not provide the information that led to Talamante's arrest.

The arrest "makes me feel very good," said Pablo Andablo, the brother of Arellano's ex-wife.

Andablo said he spoke to Arellano's eldest son, Carlos, and the family is feeling optimistic about Arellano's recovery.

The arrest followed detectives' investigation of CrimeStoppers' tips. Stanley said officers recovered a 1998 red Chevrolet pickup truck north of Gomez Drive on March 30 that matched the description of the vehicle reportedly involved in the dragging.

The truck was vandalized and its wheels were initially missing, but were later recovered.

"We can't say for sure it's tied to this case," Stanley said.

Goodrich said Talamante was booked into the Gallup jail about a year ago on drug charges that were eventually dismissed. She said Talamante was arrested following a stay at NCI.

"We all watched him grow up," Goodrich said.

Talamante is also awaiting a preliminary hearing concerning traffic violations and for driving with a suspended or revoked license, according to court documents.

Stanley said the dragging is not classified as a hate crime, despite reports from national media outlets. Stanley and department spokeswoman, detective Erin Pablo reportedly averaged about 50 phone calls per day from reporters who inquired about the incident. "We're coming in over the weekend to work on this," she said. "We still have a lot of leads to follow."

"Sometimes we're all quick to jump the gun," Stanley said. "But at the conclusion of the investigation, I'm certain I will be able to stand before you and say this is not a hate crime."

In his law enforcment career that spans more than 30 years, Stanley said he's never seen a similar case. He said evidence indicated the suspects intended to kill Arellano, but that the rope that bound the man snapped. The break most likely saved Arellano's life.

"This crime ranks at the top," he said. "It's a very violent crime."

No other law enforcement agencies will assist in the remaining investigation.

"The Gallup Police Department is the front runner in this case," he said.

Talamante will remain in jail and no bond was set. His arraignment is slated for Monday.

Goodrich said Talamante will be housed in a single occupancy cell for his safety and will be monitoredclosely by guards. Stanley asked anyone with information regarding the case to call Crime Stoppers at 722-6161.