Innocent man nearly jailed
Suspect believed responsible for Walgreens attack in NCI at the time

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — Police almost arrested an innocent man Monday, in connection with a stabbing in front of Walgreens on May 9.

Charges against Ramon Sandoval were officially dismissed Wednesday, according to an e-mail sent the same day by Deputy Chief District Attorney Jim Bierly.

Gallup Police Detective Lt. Rick White said police received an anonymous tip through Crimestoppers Monday. The tipster said the man who stabbed a 61-year-old woman as she was getting out of her car was at that moment walking in the same area. Police used the description to find and question Sandoval, who later confessed to committing the crime ... going so far as to give motive.

“We asked him why he wanted to steal her car and he said he just wanted to go for a ride,” White said.

Then, Monday afternoon while a patrol officer was moving Sandoval to Gallup McKinley Adult Detention Center, Sandoval said he couldn’t believe he had confessed to something he didn’t do. About the same time, detectives received paperwork from Na’nizhoozhi Center Inc., which showed that Sandoval had in fact been in protective custody during the stabbing. When taken into protective custody, clients at NCI are not allowed to leave until their blood-alcohol level falls back to zero.

“At first he seemed like a normal Joe, but during the interview it appeared that he may be mentally impaired ... he called himself slow” White said. “A lot of the pieces of the puzzle were there ... we had probable cause, and then we didn’t.”

“We really want to solve it,” Detective Sgt. Matt Wright said.

“But not by arresting an innocent man.”