Sept. 3 – Three Rio Arriba County men are facing felony charges after New Mexico State Police say they shot at other men just before midnight Sunday on NM 68 north of Española.
State police arrested Justin Martinez and Matias Jose Martinez, both of Ohkay Owingeh, and Bradley Abeyta, of Alcalde. They allege they led officers on a chase across several state roads in a white Hummer, throwing weapons and ammunition from the vehicle.
Abeyta is accused of shooting at a man and his son, who were riding in another vehicle, while driving along NM 68, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The man told officers that the driver, identified as Abeyta, nearly crashed and then “put his arm out the window” and shot at them, police wrote in the affidavit.
As officers were talking to the man on the side of the highway, the white Hummer sped past them, the affidavit said. Police chased the Hummer on two state roads through small communities along the Rio Grande, the affidavit said, and said passengers in the vehicle threw ammunition magazines and a rifle out the windows.
Abeyta, 39, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, aggravated flight from police and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to two criminal complaints filed Tuesday in Rio Arriba County Superior Court.
Justin Martinez, 33, is charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and shooting at or from a motor vehicle. Matias Martinez, 39, is charged with two counts of conspiracy and tampering with evidence.
Police wrote in charging documents that the three men gave conflicting statements when questioned by officers. Two of them admitted to throwing guns and ammunition out of the vehicle’s windows and the third denied seeing any guns or ammunition in the Hummer, the documents said.
The suspects were booked into the Rio Arriba County Jail in Tierra Amarilla early Monday morning, with court hearings scheduled for Wednesday to discuss their release conditions.
