A fourth Albuquerque Police Department officer has resigned rather than be interviewed as part of an internal investigation into allegations of misconduct by DWI officers. Nelson Ortiz resigned Thursday, according to a news release. “Investigators were attempting to schedule an interview with Ortiz, but he decided to resign,” the release states. Ortiz, who joined APD […]
Courts, Justice & Safety
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Third APD officer under investigation in DWI corruption probe resigns
A third officer under investigation for corruption within the Albuquerque Police Department’s DWI unit has resigned before being interviewed by internal investigators. Harvey Johnson resigned on Wednesday. Gilbert Gallegos, an APD spokesperson, said he was scheduled to be interviewed for the internal investigation today. Johnson is one of six APD officers who were put on […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Death of adult film star in Albuquerque gets national, international attention
Twelve days ago, local homicide detectives were called to a Northeast Albuquerque apartment complex to investigate a woman’s death after she was found “unresponsive” by her family. Now it’s been more than a week and her death has been reported by national — and even international — outlets, including the New York Post, The Daily […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Muslim community reflects as first trial in spate of killings begins
As Muslims began their Ramadan fasts on Monday, Muhammad Syed — an Afghan refugee who came to Albuquerque in 2016 — prepared to face a jury on one count of murder in the 2022 slaying of a fellow Muslim, Aftab Hussein. It is the first of three trials in a case that shook Albuquerque’s Muslim […]
Posted inBernalillo County, Courts, Justice & Safety, Local Gov.
Bernalillo County Sheriff launches animal cruelty reporting portal
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office has a new Animal Cruelty Report Form on its website to help notify the county’s Animal Cruelty Task Force of suspected animal abuse. Anyone who has witnessed animal cruelty can fill out the request form and remain anonymous if they choose. The form has a space to report the address […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
What should happen after the city has completed the police reform effort?
As the federally mandated reform of the Albuquerque Police Department closes in on 10 years — and the end is in sight — community policing groups have begun thinking about what comes next. With that in mind, a policing expert who has worked on consent decrees in Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore, Md., visited the Southwest […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Man serves joy through popcorn
On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, the lobby of 505 Marquette Ave. is permeated with the comforting aroma of “better than movie theater” popcorn and the warm laughter of an Albuquerque man who loves making people’s days better. Not everyone who enters the lobby of the building is having their best day. The building houses the […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Sandoval County
K9 School Helps Police Dogs Take a Bite Out of Crime
On Feb 27, an abandoned movie theater and a vacant building that was once a bar off of Coors and Paseo was transformed into training grounds for some of New Mexico’s law enforcement officers. What made this training unique was that many of the police participating in the training exercises were not humans, they were […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
Nine yrs. later, BCSO returns suspect to ABQ from Mexico to stand trial for murder
On Christmas Eve in 2014, a family member returning home from church found Idali Reyes’ body dead in her South Valley home. Two suspects were arrested shortly thereafter but a third, Jesus Alberto Chacon Morales, was never located. But that all changed Wednesday afternoon when the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department announced that Chacon Morales had […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
APD arrests several teens in separate firearm incidents
Five teenagers were arrested over the weekend in separate incidents involving firearms. They were released back to their guardians at the scene due to overcrowding and understaffing at the juvenile detention center, according to police. Two of the youths arrested, Luciano Chavez, 15, and William Maxx, 16, are currently on active juvenile probation, according to […]