Grants couple charged with drugs, child abuse

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — A man and a woman were both arrested on multiple drug and child abuse charges as a result of a search warrant by Grants Police.

Damien Baca, 18, of 1018 E. High St., Apt. 3, the target of the search warrant; and Lean Olguin, aka Leah Miranda, 26, of the same address, both have a preliminary hearing in Cibola County Magistrate Court on March 11.

Baca is charged in connection with: Distribution of a controlled substance, methamphetamine; three counts of child abuse; possession of a controlled substance, marijuana; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Olguin is charged in connection with: Possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine; three counts of child abuse; possession of marijuana; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Grants police had stopped Baca and Olguin previously while driving and found drugs, as had New Mexico State Police, who during their traffic stop found a half pound of methamphetamine in the car Baca and Olguin were driving, said Grants Police Lt. Corey Allen.

Because of complaints from neighbors about traffic all day and night, and people going into the residence for a couple of minutes, or someone from the house going out to the car for only a couple of minutes, Grants Police established a stakeout of the residence, Allen said.

The search warrant and arrest were completed on Friday with officers finding several loose pieces of methamphetamine lying around the house and in a room where three children had access to the drug, Allen said.

When police arrived at 6:20 a.m., they found Baca standing outside the apartment and he was immediately arrested, according to magistrate court records.

He had possession of a medicine bottle with three bags of methamphetamine and $160 in cash, Allen said.

A small amount of marijuana was also found scattered throughout the apartment, which also could have been easily accessed by the children. The three children, ages 1,4 and 6, were found in the apartment with Olguin, court records state.

The children were taken into protective custody by the Children, Youth and Families Department, Allen said.

If Baca is prosecuted and convicted of all charges, he faces up to two days short of 14 years in state prison, up to $22,000 in fines, or both.

If Olguin is prosecuted and convicted of all charges, she faces up to eight years and four months in state prison, up to a fine of $22,000, or both.

This case will more than likely not make it to the preliminary hearing because it will be bound over to district court for indictment by the grand jury at a later date.

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