Another dog shot in San Rafael

By Jim Maniaci
Cibola County Bureau

SAN RAFAEL — For the second time in two weeks, Cibola County Sheriff's Office deputies have been called about a dog being shot.

Deputy Tony Mace drew the latest call, around 6:30 p.m. Friday, to 5250 Ice Caves Road (State Hwy. 53). Sonya Gallegos, 28, said her 8-month-old white and tan mixed-breed shar pei-pit bull got loose from its chain when she left for work, so she closed in the front yard believing it wouldn't get loose.

When she returned home from work, she searched and found the dog on an old mattress in the back yard with a bullet hole in its forehead, also bleeding from the nose, the deputy said. Grants City Animal Control took the wounded animal to the shelter for the night.

The deputy said he had no immediate suspects.


Dangerous chase
The Cibola County Sheriff's Office said Monday that an 18-year-old who chased away an apparent burglar and then reported what he thought were shots from a silenced gun is fortunate to be alive, if that is what happened.

Around 10:40 p.m. Dec. 13, Lt. Harry Hall responded to the home of Jimmy Porter, 58, at 42 Mirabel St. The Porters and grandson Jimmy Marez said that when Marez came home around 9:45 p.m., he saw someone inside a 1972 Ford pickup truck parked in the backyard. The attempted thief was about 5-ft., 11-in. tall and dressed in black, the youth reported.

The youth went directly to the truck then chased the suspect, whom he also described as being thin, about 200 yards down State Hwy. 53. He said he heard about five muffled shots from the suspect, one of which he heard pass by him. The muffled sound led him to believe a silencer had been used, he added.

State police assisted in the unsuccessful night search for the suspect. A later day search also failed to add to the evidence.

Hall also said he advised Marez to use a flashlight the next time to check something out and not to confront a burglar directly.


Assault, warrant arrest
MILAN — A 31-year-old Milan woman and the 49-year-old man she allegedly hit and wounded with a wooden fireplace poker were both arrested Dec. 14, one by the Cibola County Sheriff's Office and one by the Milan Village Police Department.

Ellen Chaco will have her preliminary examination Jan. 9 before Jackie Fisher, Cibola County Magistrate Court presiding judge, on a charge of 3rd-degree aggravated battery with great bodily harm, according to court records. Officials at the Cibola County Detention Center said she was released on her own recognizance Monday morning. Fisher had placed her under a $10,000 unsecured bond.

Eddie Charlie of Prewitt remained in the county jail under a $550 cash bond from a Grants Municipal Court warrant. On Monday, Fisher set a pre-trial conference for Charlie on Feb. 20. His conditions of release on a $5,000 unsecured bond included being placed into the Cibola County Community Compliance Program.

The warrant, according to court records, was for failure to appear to answer three misdemeanors, including a first time aggravated drunk driving charge, failing to maintain his vehicle within his traffic lane and driving on a suspended-revoked license.

According to the Dec. 14 report by Deputy Sheriff Tony Mace, he responded to at fight at 102 Green Valley Trailer Park in Milan around 8 p.m. He said Chaco, her younger sister Angelita Johnson and Charlie had been drinking.

Chaco told him Charlie attacked her sister, so she hit him with a broken mop handle used as a fireplace poker. Johnson told the deputy Charlie had punched her in the face, but he couldn't find any marks.

While Mace booked Chaco, Milan Sgt. Tomas Archuleta stayed with Charlie and had the ambulance crew check him. A computer check revealed the bench warrant from Grants; so Archuleta took him to the county jail.

To contact reporter Jim Maniaci in Grants, telephone 285-6184 or (505) 870-7775 (cell).