Year in Review: City sees death, mayhem

Feb 16: Former Police Chief arrested

New Mexico State Police arrested recently retired Tucumcari Police Chief Jason Braziel on Feb. 15 after an incident on the previous day, charging him with resisting and evading arrest and tampering with evidence.

Braziel was released on a $3,000 cash bond later that day. He was also charged with reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident involving damage to a vehicle and failure to give immediate notice of accident.

Braziel surrendered himself to state police was booked into the Quay County Detention Center without incident.

According to court documents, Braziel had allegedly crashed a truck into a residential fence, then ran away from police officers when they approached him.

Braziel surrendered himself to state police and was booked into the Quay County Detention Center without incident.

Since then, Braziel has been placed on probation, has completed a class in preventing criminal behaviors and has compensated the owner of the fence his vehicle struck, Quay County Magistrate Court records show.

March 30: Tucumcari man accused of first-degree murder

John T. Coston, 25, of Tucumcari was arraigned March 30 in Quay County Magistrate court on charges of murder and tampering with evidence, stemming from a homicide that occurred on the previous day.

Coston was charged with slaying his cousin, Joseph T. Burgess, 25, of Tucumcari.

New Mexico State Police state police found Burgess's body at a residence on the 4200 block of Quay Road 65. Burgess had been shot, police records show.

According to the arrest affidavit, Coston was sitting on the porch of the residence when Quay County Sheriff's Deputy Ben Gates arrived. Coston told Gates Coston had shot his cousin after asking Burgess to leave his home.

Coston said he had blacked out, but remembered standing in the hallway with a shotgun lying next to him and Burgess lying on the floor bleeding.

Trial for Coston is scheduled for Feb. 5 in Tenth Judicial District Court, Tucumcari.

July 19: Wrongful death suit filed in 2015 shooting of 17-year-old

Jordan Walker of Tucumcari was named as the defendant in a civil wrongful death lawsuit in the 2015 shooting death of Patrick Gonzales, 17, of Tucumcari.

The suit was filed July 5 in Second Judicial District Court in Albuquerque before Judge Nancy Franchini.

Also named as defendants were James Lee Rivera, Jr., Tonja Marie Rivera, Lynette A. Walker, Donald Lee Walker and Donna Walker. All defendants are Tucumcari residents.

Neither Walker, identified as the shooter in the suit, nor anyone else, has been criminally charged in Gonzales' death.

On July 17, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas affirmed 10th Judicial District Attorney Tim Rose's conclusion that felony charges were not warranted in the case. Balderas in particular praised Rose's consultation with three other district attorneys, who also concluded that serious charges were not appropriate.

Court records show that on Dec. 5, Franchini denied a motion from defendants to dismiss the case with no further developments since then.

Aug. 10: Couple arrested in connection with 2016 death

Hope Bass and Daniel Martinez, both of Tucumcari, were arrested Aug. 10, and charged with child abuse that resulted in the Aug. 5, 2016 death of one-year-old Chase Bass.

Bass and Martinez were arraigned before Quay County Magistrate Judge TJ O'Quinn Hope Bass and Daniel Martinez were arrested Aug. 10. They entered no plea to four counts of child abuse, one resulting in death.

They were released on $20,000 appearance bonds, and were ordered to maintain house arrest, wear GPS ankle bracelets and consent to be searched at any time without a warrant while out.

District Attorney Tim Rose said it took a year to file charges because the Office of Medical Investigator's autopsy took months to complete and because the DA consulted with a child abuse specialist before pursuing charges.

Status conferences in the case are scheduled for Jan. 17 and Feb. 21 in Tenth Judicial District Court before Judge Albert Mitchell.

Aug. 20: Overnight vandalism impacts residents, business

A rash of vandalism on Aug. 20 resulted in thousands of dollars of damages for more than 20 residents and a local business in Tucumcari.

Irvin Martinez, 24, of Tucumcari, and a 16 year-old juvenile, were later arrested.

Martinez was charged with three charges of criminal damage to property and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Rivera said windows on several vehicles on South Second Street were broken or damaged by Martinez and the juvenile. He said they also sideswiped and damaged the window of a Tucumcari police cruiser.

Sept. 8: Police chase

Three people were arrested Sept. 8 following a 30-mile pursuit involving Logan police and Quay County Sheriff's deputies in which speeds reached 110 miles per hour.

The pursuit began on 540 Loop in Logan after Logan police officer Clay Osborn recognized Justin French, 26, who was wanted on multiple felony warrants, as he patrolled the area, Osborn said, and he tried to stop French's vehicle.

French tried evade Osborn on multiple streets, then turned onto U.S. Highway 54 west to Tucumcari, when the chase became high-speed.

Quay County Sheriff's deputies took the lead in the pursuit 15 miles east of Tucumcari, said Quay County Sheriff Russel Shafer.

The said the pursuit continued on U.S. 54 to West Campbell Avenue in Tucumcari, where French and his passenger Tina Molina, 21, bailed from the vehicle and led police on a foot pursuit and search, Shafer said.

French and Molina were then located and taken into custody without incident by sheriff's deputies and Tucumcari police officers, Shafer said.

"This was the best interagency cooperation during a pursuit that I have ever experienced," said Logan Police Chief Rodney Paris.

September: City sees rash of auto thefts

A rash of vehicle thefts prompted law enforcement officials to urge residents to be vigilant about locking their vehicles.

In September, as many as five vehicles were stolen in the city, said David Lathrom, Tucumcari Chief of Police.

Lathrom said the trend with these recent vehicles thefts is the vehicle is driven for a while then dumped and sometimes damaged. Most were recovered the following day, but a few had not been found. Most of the vehicle thefts are occurring at night, Lathrom added.

Lathrom said in many instances, keys had been left in the ignition.

"For the public's safety, residents should not leave their keys in the vehicle even if it is only for a short while," Lathrom said.

Oct. 7-15: Two churches and Arch Hurley headquarters burglarized, suspects arrested

Two Tucumcari churches were burglarized Oct. 7 and Oct. 8 and one was heavily vandalized with graffiti and enchilada sauce, among other things.

On Oct. 10, burglars struck the Arch Hurley Conservancy District headquarters, stealing computers and other valuable equipment.

Musical and electronic equipment were stolen from both churches, according to church representatives.

The First Presbyterian Church at East Aber and Adams streets was burglarized either late Oct 7 or early Oct. 8.

A brick shattered a window and damaged a carpet in the church sanctuary, pastor Amy Pospichal said. A computer and wide-screen television were taken out of a church office, Pospichal said, and the door to the office had been pried open with a hammer.

"We're just very lucky no one was in there to get hurt," she said.

On Oct. 8, burglars struck the Center Street United Methodist Church at Center and Jackson streets.

The burglars stole microphones and stereo equipment, Harold Sloan, the director of the church choir, said.

The Rev. John Barrett, the pastor, said the burglars spread leftover food from the church's annual enchilada sale Saturday all over the church, as well.

Amid the graffiti burglars left on the walls at the Methodist Church was a taunt: "You'll never catch us."

Early on Oct. 14, Tucumcari police officers arrested two Tucumcari men and a juvenile and recovered many of the computers, electronic devices and even musical instruments stolen in that burglary and the Presbyterian Church and Arch Hurley break-ins.

By Oct. 15, rightful owners had reclaimed much of their stolen property, Tucumcari Police Chief David Lathrom said.

Police arrested Tucumcari residents Sean Murray and Matthew Belcher, both 19, as they served warrants at a house in the 500 block of East High Street, Tucumcari, shortly after midnight on Friday, according to Tenth Judicial District Attorney Tim Rose.

A 17-year-old male juvenile was arrested at about the same time and placed in Children Youth and Families Department custody, Tucumcari Deputy Police Chief Pete Rivera said.

Oct. 16: Man arrested after high-speed chase; stolen goods recovered

A morning pursuit Oct. 16 ended with the arrest of a Tucumcari man, along with recovery of a stolen vehicle, handguns and other stolen goods from burglaries in Quay and Curry County.

Antonio Sandoval, 29, was arrested, charged and booked into the Quay County Detention Center on counts including aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, receiving/transferring stolen motor vehicles, two counts of receiving stolen fire arms and dealing in credit cards of another.

Nov. 1: Former educator pleads guilty to child solicitation

A former faculty member of Mesalands Community College pleaded guilty Nov. 1 to fourth-degree felony charges of child solicitation by electronic communication device and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Robert Moreau, 51, a former fine arts instructor at Mesalands, signed a plea agreement before 10th Judicial District Judge Albert J. Mitchell.

The two charges involved a then-minor student who said Moreau had sexual encounters with him in exchange for money and alcohol.

Moreau agreed to a three-year suspended sentence and probation. Moreau will also register as a sex offender and be subject to sex offender supervision. Moreau will also make a $100 donation within the first six months of probation to the Quay County Domestic Violence Program.

- compiled by Steve Hansen