Grants man faces multiple felony charges

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — A Grants man was arrested weeks after police found burglary items and drugs in a vehicle that was being used by his friends.

Wilfred Salazar, 26, of 408 N. Second St., is charged in connection with receiving stolen property, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, all fourth degree felonies.

Grants Police Detective Moses Marquez said when officers stopped Raymond Gonzales and another man in early January for a traffic violation, they found burgled items in the trunk of the car which was being driven by Gonzales, but owned by Salazar.

Those items, including a loaf of banana nut bread, were stolen from a hunter's vehicle while parked at a motel on the east end of Grants.

Finding the banana nut bread was the item that broke the case because the Grants police officer who took the initial theft report listed it as one of the items stolen, Marquez said.

Salazar faces up to 4.5 years in state prison, up to $15,000 in fines, or both, if prosecuted and convicted on all three felonies.

Following his arrest on Jan. 28, Salazar was released on his personal recognizance, without a bond, by Cibola County Magistrate Manuel Lujan.

Salazar was given a court appointed attorney as public defender.

Court records list a Grants address on Second Street, but when he signed the release order, Salazar listed 10435 Mesa Sunset in Albuquerque as an address, according to court records.

Salazar had a warrant for his arrest dated Jan. 4, from the incident with the stopping of his vehicle, court records state.

He was stopped on Jan., 28 by Grants police because he ran a stop sign and officers subsequently recognized him, Marquez said.

The warrant was issued when police found that 140.8 grams of marijuana in the glove compartment of the car, court records state.

Because the stolen items were in Salazar's vehicle, he was also charged with receiving stolen goods. Several other items that were stolen from residences and businesses in Grants were also found in the car and attributed to Salazar, Marquez said.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.