A Rio Rancho woman faces nine criminal charges — including aggravated assault and child abuse — after police say she fired a handgun at her partner during a domestic dispute in the early morning hours of April 18 in the High Range neighborhood.
Officers dispatched around 1:47 a.m. found live rounds and spent casings in front of the residence. The male partner told police the woman fired approximately five rounds at him while he sat in a truck parked in the driveway, according to a statement of probable cause filed by Rio Rancho police. SWAT was called after officers confirmed gunfire evidence at the scene. The woman eventually exited the home peacefully and was taken into custody.
The 29-year-old woman told officers the rounds came from her partner shooting recreationally in the nearby mesa and throwing leftover ammunition into the yard — an account investigators said was contradicted by bullet holes found in the interior front wall of the residence and in the exterior of a neighboring home. A search warrant executed after SWAT cleared the scene turned up a pistol and additional ammunition inside the residence.
A neighbor told police he had previously reported concerns about the address to federal agencies, including alleged drug activity and prior incidents involving a firearm. The woman’s two children were inside the residence during the incident and remained with their father after her arrest. The Children, Youth and Families Department was notified.
The amended criminal complaint filed April 20 in Sandoval County Magistrate Court lists nine counts, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a household member, two counts of shooting at an occupied dwelling, two counts of tampering with evidence, two counts of child abuse, and two counts of negligent use of a firearm.