Woman flown to hospital after vehicle accident

By Jim Maniaci
Cibola County Bureau

SAN RAFAEL — A man who admitted he was so drunk he refused to undergo sobriety tests twice, saw his female companion flown to an Albuquerque hospital in a helicopter Sunday morning, according to the Cibola County Sheriff's Office.

Adan Maldonado, 25, and Veronica Molina, 31, had just left the Palomas bar on Main Street in San Rafael in a white Cadillac, according Deputy Sheriff Xavier Hernandez. Maldonado missed the turn onto N.M. Route 53 and landed in a bar ditch. The deputy said when he arrived, several people were standing around and Maldonado was holding Molina trying to keep her awake. She was under the dashboard.

The ambulance and the Grants Rescue-Fire Department arrived around 2:20 a.m. The deputy said he received the call around 2:08 a.m.

"After checking and stabilizing Veronica, the E.M.T. made the decision to call out Lifeguard and get Veronica airlifted to Albuquerque," he said.

State police and the fire department cleared a landing zone for the helicopter.

The driver told the deputy the couple was headed back to their home in Grants.

A computer check showed Maldonado's driver's license was suspended and that he already had one aggravated drunk driving conviction, the deputy said. There also was an arrest warrant from Sandoval County for failing to appear on an original charge of aggravated drunk driving, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended or revoked license and assault on a peace officer, the deputy added.

As of Tuesday afternoon, he was in the Cibola County Detention Center where he was booked Sunday morning on an $18,100 bond.

At his first appearance in Magistrate Court on Monday, the charges were listed as 3rd-degree felony causing bodily injury with a motor vehicle, misdemeanor drunk driving (second offense) and misdemeanor motor vehicle operation while a license is suspended or revoked.

The deputy's probable cause statement mirrors his police report.

A hearing has been set March 14. Maldonado was released on an $15,000 unsecured bond, plus the standard eight conditions of release which includes no alcohol, plus being fingerprinted and reporting to the Community Compliance Program for random urinalysis tests.


Stolen 4-wheeler recovered
MILAN — While a $1,500 generator is still missing, a $5,000 four-wheeler was recovered Feb. 16 by Cibola County Undersheriff Johnny Valdez.

Valdez said he was dispatched to the Hunter Lynn business on Elkins Rd. outside Milan to investigate a burglary which occurred during the night. Burglars apparently pried open locks on doors to two buildings.

A red Titan portable diesel generator was taken from the first building, while a 1996 Polaris Sportsman 4-wheeler was removed from the second building. The thieves then left with their loot by knocking down a rear fence gate, Valdez said.

He was able to track the tracks to a mobile home about 3/4 of a mile north of the burglary. It appeared, Valdez said, to have been ridden around, then parked in a bar ditch near the BNSF railroad tracks. The resident said he heard some noise about 11:30 p.m. but didn't look out. He said he saw the son of the owner of the home riding a vehicle around about two hours earlier on the 16th.

Valdez said the boy told him he had seen the vehicle parked by a power pole, so took it for a ride, then parked it by the ditch.

The company came and picked up its vehicle and the undersheriff turned further investigation over to Lt. Harry Hall.

Hall reminds residents and business owners to be sure to keep an inventory list of valuable property, including the make, model, serial number, or other unique identification which the owner has inscribed in an inconspicuous spot, and the purchase price with the date of purchase. Photos or drawings also are extremely valuable to detectives, because without the critical information there is almost no hope of recovering the loot and prosecuting the crooks.


A 2.2 B.A.C.
MILAN A 52-year-old Prewitt man who twice tested to a 2.2 blood alcohol content almost three times the legal limit on Feb. 15 after being stopped while driving round and round in the supermarket parking lot in Milan was booked into the county jail on a drunk driving charge (1st offense), according to the Cibola County Sheriff's Office.

As of Friday, jail officials said Harvey Begay was in custody on a $1,000 surety bond. Magistrate Court officials said they were waiting for additional paperwork in the case.

Sergeant Steve Marquez said he was on his way to a drunk driving call when a citizen waved him down near the Milan truck wash to report a driver in a red Ford pickup truck towing a horse trailer was at Milan Supermart. Begay offered an ID card and said he'd had three or four beers. Marquez said the man then failed three field sobriety tests. Blood alcohol content tests by officers from the New Mexico State Police and Milan Village Police departments both resulted in the 2.2 results, the sergeant said.

Begay also received a citation for driving with a revoked license, Marquez added.


Held prisoner for 22 hours
GRANTS — A 27-year-old rural Grants man was arrested early Friday morning on several charges, including four counts of 4th-degree felony false imprisonment, after allegedly keeping his wife, their two children and another woman from leaving the home in the Mount Taylor Addition, according to the Cibola County Sheriff's Office.

Alfredo Ramirez also was booked into the county jail on two counts of 3rd-degree felony child abuse, one count of 3rd-degree felony aggravated assault on a household member with intent to commit a violent felony, 4th-degree possession of methamphetamine and petty misdemeanor battery.

Magistrate Court records show a secured bond of $100,000 required for release with the eight standard conditions of release also imposed during his first appearance on Friday. John Bezzeg was appointed the contract public defender and a preliminary examination was set for Feb. 28.

According to Deputy Sheriff George Hanna, he received the call at 12:24 a.m. to go to one address about a domestic violence disturbance at another location in the subdivision, which with San Rafael draw an unusually large number of calls for deputies.

Maxine Ramirez told the deputy she was not allowed to leave the home between 6 p.m. Feb. 15 and 4 p.m. Feb. 16. During that time her husband pushed her at the bathroom and she fell down, then later hit her in the jaw while in the kitchen, she told the deputy. Rosemarie Aguilar said Alfredo Ramirez had pushed her at the bathroom of the Ramirez home around 10 p.m. on the 15th and that she was held hostage, not being allowed to leave, either.

Mrs. Ramirez was given a domestic violence packet, the deputy said.

Hanna and Deputy Sheriff Xavier Hernandez, backed up by a Grants City Police Department officer, then went to the Ramirez home. Deputy Hanna said a pit bull dog in the yard didn't appear to be vicious, that Mr. Ramirez came to the door but did not want to let the lawmen inside. They did unlock the door and took him into custody without incident, Hanna said.

While searching him for weapons, Hanna said he found "a small clear plastic baggie inside his left rear pocket which contained a white crystal substance which was consistent with methamphetamine."

The deputy added that a 7-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy were inside the entire time.

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