No sign of missing man

By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Law enforcement agencies concluded the renewed search for Steven Romero Friday without results.
Cibola County Sheriff Johnny Valdez, New Mexico State Police Capt. Dominic Pargas, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish officer Craig Sanchez and Ross Marcus, whose status is unidentified, conducted the final leg of the search for the missing man on horseback near The Narrows on the east side of N.M. Highway 117 Friday morning.

Valdez said the small party covered between eight and 10 miles of country including the mesa and the main mountain and turned up only a ripped up pillow case that appears to be more than 6 months old. The sheriff said it is not connected to the Romero disappearance.

State police could not be reached for comment Saturday. Valdez said he is not aware of an official decision by state law enforcement, but believes the case will now be handled as a criminal investigation.

The criminal investigation into the disappearance of an Oso Ridge man once suspected to have entered the Malpais is still ongoing, state police said earlier this week.

The National Park Service and the New Mexico Department of Corrections supplied personnel for the larger search into the Malpais on Thursday.

“All agencies work so well together,” Valdez said. “It is great to see the NPS working (on this) because we don’t always get a chance to work with them. They have a lot of experience and knowledge that was useful in the briefing,” he added.

Romero is described as being 6-feet 1-inch tall with brown eyes, about 175 pounds, with a well-trimmed gray beard and neat gray hair with a bald area in front. He is 61 years old.

There is no information about what he was last wearing.

Anyone with information should call the New Mexico State Police 24-hour line at (505) 287-4141, the Cibola County Sheriff’s Office 24-hour line at 287-9476 or, to remain anonymous, Cibola Crime Stoppers at 287-8400.