Cibola County hires two new deputies

Daniel Gonzales, right, and Robert Turney are Cibola Counties' newest deputies. The two, who were hired this month, bring the sheriff's department up to its full officer strength. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

By Jim Maniaci
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — With two new deputies, the Cibola County Sheriff's Office is back to full strength.

Veteran outdoors lawman Robert Turney, 34, began Sept. 12 and rookie Daniel Gonzales, 21, started Sept. 20. Both have been undergoing field training by Lt. Harry Hall.

Undersheriff Johnny Valdez commented, "We are really comfortable in having both these guys. They are young and eager to learn and willing to work hard."

Valdez added, "Once their field training is complete, we will go back and reimplement our 24-hour coverage."

He added, "We would like to strengthen the staff by adding two more deputies by the end of the year, if we can. We'll work closely with the new (county) commission and county manager on this."

Gonzales, who will have to complete the academy, is in his first police job, fulfilling a life-long dream. "I just always wanted to be a policeman" and picked the county because "I like to work for the county, even with other agencies having openings," said the Grants native.

His hobbies are hunting, running and watching football.

Before becoming a deputy sheriff, he worked at the Petro truck stop in Milan for more than five years. He is the son of Daniel Gonzales Sr., who manages the Iron Skillet Restaurant at Petro, and Theresa Gonzales, a substitute teacher for the Grants-Cibola County School District. He and Ashley Gallegos are expecting their first child, a son, he said.

Turney, who already has his New Mexico Peace Officer Standards and Training certification, said he went into police work because, "I've always been a stickler for game and fish laws and had lots of friends in law enforcement."

A graduate of Oklahoma State University, Turney said his first memory of involvement with peace officers came as a younster in western Oklahoma Indian country when game wardens checked him and his friends when they hunted.

He also remembers when he was 13, his father, a pharmacist, was killed in a robbery.

With a background in biology, he went to work in 2001 as a National Park Service Ranger at El Morro National Monument. From 2002-2006, he was a tribal ranger with the Zuni Pueblo Game-Fish Department.

He and his wife Kristi married six years ago and have a son, Caddo, 4, and are expecting their second child. His wife is a pharmacist working for the Ramah Navajo Health Clinic.

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