In the wake of a “large disturbance” at the Bernalillo County Youth Services Center — a juvenile detention center — on Christmas, the county has developed a plan to boost staffing, training, morale and emergency planning. The plan also includes hiring a director by April 1, since the previous director, Michael Ferstl, retired last week. […]
Category: Courts, Justice & Safety
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Man who killed beloved Albuquerque rocket scientist sentenced to 11 years in prison
The man who shot and killed a rocket scientist in front of a Southeast Albuquerque home three years ago was sentenced on Monday to serve 11 years in prison — 18 years total with seven suspended — followed by five years of supervised probation and two years of parole. Vigil pleaded guilty to second-degree murder […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Rio Rancho
Alec Baldwin to stand trial this summer on a charge stemming from deadly ‘Rust’ movie set shooting
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico judge has set a trial date for Alec Baldwin on an involuntary manslaughter charge stemming from the 2021 deadly shooting on the set of the Western movie “Rust.” The scheduling order entered Monday calls for jury selection to begin July 9, with the trial starting the following […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
The epitome of Albuquerque: Law enforcement edition
The epitome of Albuquerque will be a recurring City Desk ABQ feature every Friday where we highlight interesting data about our city and surrounding areas. Find last week’s here.
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
A man tried to open an emergency exit on an American Airlines flight. Other passengers subdued him
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in New Mexico after a disruptive passenger allegedly tried to open an emergency exit door, authorities said. Albuquerque International Sunport officials said Flight 1219 to Chicago returned to the airport shortly after takeoff Tuesday afternoon “due to a disturbance in […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Watch: Police release video of Chief Medina crash
Two people fighting, birds scattering and a truck T-boning a gold Ford Mustang. That’s what can be seen on surveillance video footage released by the Albuquerque Police Department of Chief Harold Medina getting into a crash Saturday morning. The incident lasted only seconds as Chief Medina and his wife were driving to a press conference […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
City staffers credited for drastically reducing unsolved Missing and Murdered Indigenous People cases
The City of Albuquerque is one of the top five cities in the United States where Indigenous people go missing or are murdered, according to a report by the Urban Indian Health Institute in Seattle. But, the city says, over the last two years Dawn Begay, the city’s Native American Affairs Coordinator and Commander Gerard […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Second member of Internal Affairs Division now being investigated in DWI unit probe
The Internal Investigation into the Albuquerque Police Department’s DWI unit has expanded to include a lieutenant in the Internal Affairs Division. On Friday, an APD spokesperson said the department temporarily reassigned the lieutenant to another position within the department—the Operations Division. APD did not identify the lieutenant since he is on “investigative assignment” rather than […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Sandoval County
Sandoval County Deputy Tased During Arrest
Sandoval County Sheriff’s Officers were dispatched to a residence on the 600 block of Fountain Ct. in Rio Rancho February 9 to serve a domestic violence order of protection for the removal of Fabricio Portillo from the home. The encounter resulted in Sgt. Luke Osborn being accidentally tasered by his own stun gun. According to […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Burglary reported at office of attorney under investigation in DWI scheme
A little more than three weeks after the FBI raided the Northeast Albuquerque office of a local attorney, he reported that two people cut the power, broke the back door and entered the premises. Thomas Clear III, who is being investigated for possible corruption along with several Albuquerque Police Department DWI officers, reported the break-in […]