Gang rape reported

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — The New Mexico State Police are investigating an incident at the McKinley County Adult Detention Center during the weekend of Feb. 3-4.

Details are still sketchy since state police as well as officials for the detention center are not releasing any information.

According to one report, the incident concerns the gang rape of one inmate by four other inmates in the cell block. The victim reportedly told jail officials after the incident, which triggered the state police investigation.

Peter Olson, a spokesman for the state police, confirmed that his agency was looking into the incident but said that there would be no information released until after the investigation is complete. This includes release of the original incident report.

State law requires that police release the original incident report, but state police have refused consistedly to follow the law.

Several newspapers in the state, including the Albuquerque Journal, filed a lawsuit against the state police regarding this and on Friday, Gov. Bill Richardson announced that a settlement had been released in which the state police agreed to release some documents to the press.

But on Monday, state police officials were still refusing to release any documents, although they said that some documents may be released if a written request was sent to the department. But no information would be released for at least three days.

McKinley County District Attorney said Friday that his office still has received no information from the state police on the incident or how far they have gotten with their investigation.


Motel death
GALLUP — A man was found dead inside a local motel room late Sunday morning. Investigator Erin Toadlena-Pablo, a spokeswoman for the Gallup Police Department, said emergency responders were called to the Travel Lodge, 3275 W. Hwy. 66, at about 11:30 a.m. in reference to a man who was not breathing. A medical investigator pronounced the man deceased inside his motel room. Toadlena-Pablo suspects the man's death is medically related. No foul play was immediately suspected.