McKinley No. 1 in warrants
County leads state in number outstanding

Independent Staff

A list of outstanding warrants is in today's Independent

GALLUP — McKinley County still holds the title of having the largest number of outstanding warrants statewide. This excludes Bernallilo County, which operates under the metropolitan court system rather than the magistrate system.

McKinley County surpassed recent years' leading counties, Dona Ana and Sante Fe, records show.

According to The Independent's findings, McKinley County still has about 10,000 outstanding arrest warrants issued, which is similar to the amount published in the newspapaper's last special edition on March 7.

Cynthia Saunders, chief clerk for McKinley County's Magistrate Court, said court officials saw an influx in the number of people who paid off their outstanding debt following the last publication. She estimates the court earned $10,000 from people ready to clear their slates.

Common violations that result in warrants being issued include minor traffic violations and unresolved drunken driving arrests, some of which date back to the early 1980s.

An example of the more serious warrants, include 30-year-old Juan Luis Baca's. Baca is facing five counts of criminal sexual penetration of a child between the ages of 13 and 16. Another example is 28-year-old Rose Abelita Freeland who is allegedly wanted on 10 counts of issuing worthless checks.

Saunders said court employees will not waive the $100 warrant fee, as they have in past years as an incentive for residents to clear their warrants.

Saunders said the fee funds the court's full-time warrant enforcement employee. However, she said residents who appear can meet with next available judge.

Magistrate court is located at 285 Boardman Drive next to the McKinley County Adult Detention Center. The phone number is 722-6636.