Escapees may face more charges

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Two Kansas escapees, Steven A. Foster and Jesse L. Bell, will be arraigned at 9:30 a.m., Nov. 30, in the 13th Judicial District Court in Grants.

The two men escaped from a prison in El Dorado, Kan., on Oct. 28, and were captured and arrested in Grants in the early morning hours of Oct. 31. Both face several local charges.

On Tuesday, District Attorney Lemuel Martinez met with Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Valencia in Albuquerque to determine whether superseding or additional federal, felony charges would be filed against the pair.

“We have not yet made that decision. I told Mr. Valencia that we could look at which charges would have the most time (in prison), before we decide” Martinez said. Another meeting has been set for next week.

At the arraignment before Judge Camille Martinez-Olguin, Bell and Foster will be allowed to enter a plea of guilty, no contest or not guilty, through their defense attorneys, in court, Martinez said.

At that time, either a sentencing date or a trial date will be set, he said.

Martinez also said Assistant District Attorney Peter Burns, who will be prosecuting the case, will ask for a continued no bond hold because the pair are a flight risk and a danger to the public.

Both are currently in the Cibola County Detention Center on a no bond hold awaiting their arraignment.

Once arraigned, the DA’s office has six months to prosecute the case and, “We will vigorously prosecute this case,” he said.

When they were captured, Bell was scuffling with police and Foster shot at police four times with one of three stolen handguns they had in their possession.

A third person, Amber Lynn Goff, a former corrections officer at the prison in El Dorado, Kan., allegedly helped the two men escape and gave them three stolen handguns.

A plea of innocent was entered in Kansas Monday by a federal magistrate while Goff was in prison there, according to The Associated Press. She faces four felony firearms-related charges in addition to a felony charge of assisting the men in their escape. She was extradited to Kansas two weeks ago.

On Nov. 10, Martinez announced the two men would face local charges and sentencing in Grants before being extradited to Kansas to face charges there.

Both were indicted by the local grand jury on identical charges of felons in possession of a firearm, resisting arrest and receiving stolen property. Foster, because he shot at police officers, also faces aggravated assault on a police officer, with a deadly weapon; and tampering with evidence.

Foster could receive up to 8.5 years in state prison and Bell could face up to four years.

After they are sentenced in Grants, they will be extradited to Kansas to face escape charges there. The District Attorney’s office here will file a request for detainment requiring Kansas prison officials to notify the DA’s office here when the two are nearing completion of their sentences in Kansas.

The DA will request the Cibola County Sheriff’s Department to pick up Bell and Foster from Kansas and return them here to serve their sentences in a New Mexico state prison when they have served their time in Kansas.

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