I-40 manhunt ends
Cibola County sheriff captures fugitive

By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — A prisoner who escaped his guards and set off a multiagency manhunt near Sky City Casino Friday is in custody.

Richard Joe Youstey, 41, of Magnum, Okla., is being held in the Cibola County Detention in Grants for extradition to Oklahoma. Lt. Siseros of the detention center said no local charges have been filed against Youtsey to date.

The Cibola County Sheriff’s office said that Sheriff Johnny Valdez captured the prisoner at approximately 5 p.m. Friday. The arrest occurred after a manhunt involving the New Mexico State Police, the Cibola County Sheriff’s Department, the Acoma Police Department and the Laguna Police Department had been called off earlier in the day. Information about the exact location of the arrest was not available by press time.

Youtsey escaped from bounty hunters working on contract for Joe Bob’s Bail Bonds in Chickasha, Okla. Jimmy Ray Lee and Frank Valencia, both from Oklahoma, were transporting Youtsey from California back to custody in Chickasha. The agents freed the prisoner’s hands so he could use the rest room in the Sky City filling station, a source in Oklahoma who asked not to be named said. The source added that the recovery agents are experienced, but had no way of knowing there was a back door.

The Oklahoma source stressed that Youtsey is charged with giving a false name to an officer and should not be considered dangerous, echoing earlier reports from the sheriff’s office that the escapee was wanted on a white collar-type crime involving false pretenses.

Siseros said it is not known at this time when Youtsey will be returned to Oklahoma.