Albuquerque police have arrested a man suspected of severely beating another man during a fight in front of a homeless services provider Downtown in late February. The victim, Mark Lavine, died a couple weeks later. Jose Gracia, 54, was arrested Wednesday. He is charged with an open count of murder. Both he and Lavine were […]
Courts, Justice & Safety
Posted inBernalillo County, Courts, Justice & Safety, Local Gov.
Man shoots, injures himself outside county jail
A man shot and injured himself outside the Metropolitan Detention Center Tuesday afternoon, according to a county spokesperson. He has been taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital. “No one else was injured or involved in the incident,” spokesperson Candace Hopkins wrote in a news release. “The Sheriff’s Office has secured the grounds and […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
A law to stem organized shoplifting has been in place 10 months. Is it working?
In early January, a security guard working at Marshalls in Northeast Albuquerque called an Albuquerque Police Department detective to report she had been working on a case against a “prolific shoplifter” for more than two months and there was a chance to arrest him.
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
2023’s most prolific felony shoplifting cases
This article is part of a three-part package on shoplifting. Read about what’s happening in the Southwest Area Command here and what’s happened since a law was passed to target organized retail crime here. Store: Albertsons Market, two locationsSuspects: Demetrius Antonnie Bailey, 41Dates: Feb. 13 to Sept. 19Number of incidents: 12Charges: Organized retail crime, one […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Southwest Albuquerque command sees positive outcome in shoplifting reports from retailers
This article is part of a three-part package on shoplifting. Read about what’s happened since a law was passed to target organized retail crime here and about some of the most brazen thefts here. At a recent community policing meeting in Southwest Albuquerque, Cmdr. Rene Barraza told the gathered crowd that the department has noted […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, rio-rancho
Rio Rancho Man Charged With Killing Wife
A Rio Rancho man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife. According to a criminal complaint, around 6:42 a.m. on March 25, Rio Rancho Police arrived at 2178 Acapulco Rd. to investigate a possible homicide. The criminal complaint states a 911 call came in from a family member, […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Downtown
Watch: APD Take Downtown Shooting Suspect into Custody
Officers were nearby and able to respond quickly when two men began shooting at each other in Downtown Albuquerque on Saturday evening. The first suspect was captured and arrested shortly after the shooting, while the second suspect, a minor, turned himself in the next day. The APD Police Chief Harold Medina posted the body camera […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
APD relaunches popular cold case series
After a brief hiatus, the popular crime series Duke City Case Files, has relaunched. After the Albuquerque Police Dept. launched the video series in 2021, the Homicide Unit solved four of the seven cold cases featured. The first case highlighted with the relaunch is the September 2021 homicide of 22-year-old Brittany Ramirez. Ramirez was left […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
911 calls detail aftermath of police chief’s crash
On Feb. 17, Todd Perchert called 911. He’d just been hit by a black truck at the intersection of Alvarado Drive NE and Central Avenue. He was driving his gold 1966 Ford Mustang — which was his uncle’s and his dad’s before his. Struggling to talk, Perchert told the 911 operator that he had been […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, svalley
Public safety townhall will be held in South Valley on Wednesday
Two of the county’s top cops are holding a townhall meeting in the South Valley Wednesday evening. Second Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman and Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen will hold the meeting in order to allow residents to provide their input on the future of law enforcement in the county. “Your voice matters, and this […]