Shoplifters go on a rampage

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

Louie Montano

GRANTS — A shoplifting incident at Handy Andy's, a local liquor store, nearly got out of control as three juveniles and an 18-year-old tossed extremely vulgar insults toward responding Grants police officers as well as resisted arrest and were "out of control" according to one police officer's report.

Grants Police Detective Moses Marquez said the incident occurred Monday at 3:13 p.m., at the store at 1430 W. Santa Fe with all four of the individuals involved being intoxicated.

"They could not have been that intoxicated from drinking what they stole from the liquor store. They had to have been drinking at least all afternoon," Marquez said.

The store's manager called police and said the juveniles were shoplifting and requested an officer, according to a Grants police report.

Before that call was made, the juveniles allegedly began destroying the store, taking cigars, bubble gum and other items as well as a bottle of alcohol, according to Cibola County Magistrate Court records.

As the manager attempted to make the first 911 call to police, one of the juveniles reached over the counter and yanked the telephone out of his hand and the wall, court records state.

Police found the three juveniles at the top of the hill behind Handy Andy's where they started yelling profanities at the officers while smoking the cigars, police stated.

The responding officer and backup officers began a foot pursuit and caught the three in a ditch behind the store, according to police.

Resisting arrest
When an officer told one of the juveniles to turn around, all three of the juveniles became combative and one squared up with his fists in a boxing stance, Marquez said.

"The three were arrested after fighting officers, spitting on them and using vulgar language the entire time," Marquez said.

"Offenders out there are becoming more likely to fight us because they know we are shorthanded," Marquez said.

While the three were resisting and fighting in the ditch with police, a fourth individual, Louie Montano, of Grants, showed up and threw a full 62-ounce bottle of alcohol at one of the officers narrowly missing his head and shattering on the rocks just a few feet away, court records state.

Out of control
All three juveniles were "resisting, fighting spitting on the officers, using profanity and totally out of control," court records state.

"After all three juvenile subjects were handcuffed, they were so intoxicated and high on a suspected narcotic substance, they would not comply with any orders given by the officers," court records state.

"All three juveniles kicked and fought all the way to the (police) units that were parked in the Handy Andy parking lot," according to court records.

When the three were placed in the back of separate police units, they continued kicking and screaming and fighting all the way. They all kicked and spat in the units and would not calm down, according to court records.

An officer's report states that all of the individuals involved in the incident continued to resist as much as they could until police finished booking them. The three juveniles were taken to the McKinley County Juvenile Detention Center and Montano was booked into the Cibola County Detention Center.

Charges
The three juveniles are all charged with felony battery on a peace officer, felony criminal damage and two misdemeanors, resisting arrest and shoplifting.

Montano is charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer, felony contributing to the delinquency of a minor and resisting arrest, a misdemeanor.

Grants Police Chief Marty Vigil said that he will not release the names of the juveniles because of their age.

The three juveniles are ages 13, from San Fidel, and 13 and 14, from Grants, Marquez said.

As of late Tuesday evening, Montano was still in the Cibola County Detention Center on a $15,000 cash surety bond, said Lt. David Sisneros.

"That means he has to pay $1,500 before he can bond out," Sisneros said.

Hearings
Montano has a preliminary hearing at 10 a.m. March 21 in Magistrate Court.

The three juveniles were scheduled to make an initial appearance today in 13th Judicial District Court.

The damage caused to the store by the juveniles is estimated at $1,000, according to police.

New Mexico State Police officers arrived to back up Grants police during the fighting and assisted in catching and arresting Montano, police stated.

Marquez said the police department received several telephone calls late Monday afternoon from area residents who were concerned about the incident.

One call also accused officers of beating the juveniles.

"We don't beat people up," Marquez said.

— To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: tiffin.independent@yahoo.com