Grants man holds gun on escapee
By Mike Marino
Cibola County Bureau
GRANTS A recent failure of an inmate to report
back to authorities after a furlough ended in a local resident holding
the man at gunpoint until authorities arrived.
After an incident in March 2006, charges were filed against Paul
Valdez by the N.M. State Police on numerous counts, including armed
robbery, aggravated burglary, two counts of breaking and entering,
and the unlawful taking of an automobile.
Recently Valdez was found incompetent to stand trial; so, he was
transported early this month by the Sheriff's Department to Las
Vegas, where people are sometimes sent while officials make a determination
of their competency to stand trial.
While he was in the Las Vegas institution, his uncle, Gino Valdez
Jr., died, and Valdez was to be a pallbearer at the funeral. Valdez
was transferred back to the Cibola County Detention Center and was
released April 9 on a 24-hour furlough.
His family then drove Valdez back to the detention center, but he
never made it inside; instead, he ran across the street from the
facility. As soon as law enforcement was notified, a massive police
presence initiated a search for the fleeing Valdez.
After a two-hour search, a local resident notified authorities that
Valdez had been hiding in the brush and bushes. The resident had
a gun and had made Valdez lie down on the ground until authorities
arrived. Valdez did not resist. He is now back in custody.
Although all ended well, the outcome could have been worse.
"(If) that citizen had shot Valdez, this could have been a
different story. As citizens, you do have the right to make a felony
arrest in your presence, but you cannot use undue force. There is
a fine line there, so check on the laws first or you may be explaining
your actions before a jury of your peers," Hall said.
Valdez now faces additional charges of escape from a criminal detention
center.
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Friday
April 20, 2007
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