Local News from Friday, April 25th, 2025

The deceased has been identified as a 34-year-old female resident of Farmington. The circumstances surrounding her death remain under active investigation by the Farmington Police Department.

Ruth Brooks is the new Chief Operating Officer at San Juan Regional Medical Center. She began her career at SJRMC in 2002 as the director of Radiology and the Cancer Treatment Center. She was promoted to Vice President of Professional Services and Accreditation in 2008. Since then, Brooks has added Regulatory Compliance and Support Services as areas she leads as Vice President.

“By using a justice station, people can conduct business with a state court when they have no internet connection at their homes or lack reliable cellular phone service,” said Eleventh Judicial District Chief Judge Curtis Gurley. “The justice stations offer more convenience for people who otherwise would need to go to Gallup, Farmington or Aztec for a court hearing.”

Cortez Police Officer Michael Moran was fatally wounded during a traffic stop Wednesday, November 29, 2023. During an exchange of gunfire with other members of law enforcement at a subsequent location, one suspect was killed and the second suspect was taken into custody.

Unofficial Results of the 2023 Municipal Elections in San Juan County, NM: Aztec School Bond fails. CCSD Board Dist. 2: Montoya leads Benally by 2 votes. San Juan College Board: Taylor leads Hales by 7 votes.

"We are confident this is an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to the community," said Operations Bureau Commander Deck Shaline.

The department asks the public for patience today as it diligently works the crime scene at Santa Rita Park. "We will stay close to the facts and release as much information as possible, as this remains an active homicide investigation," said Brammer. Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact Durango Police detectives at (970) 375-4730.

The initial investigation indicated a white Dodge pick-up, driven by Charles Lane, 64, of Aztec, NM., was travelling northbound on U.S. Highway-491, near milepost 34.  For unknown Reasons, Mr. Lane’s vehicle left the roadway and crashed into the rear of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), that was parked on the shoulder, due to mechanical issues.

Around 9:00 p.m. last night, officers responded to a reported shooting at Gooding Lane and West Main Street. Upon arrival, they discovered a male victim with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite immediate efforts, the victim succumbed to his injuries after being transported to the San Juan Regional Medical Center. The deceased's name will not be released until the next of kin has been notified.

 The suspect, 43-year-old Abel Soto, was immediately transported and treated at UNM Hospital.  No officers or uninvolved citizens were injured.  Per San Juan County Sheriff’s Office policy, the deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave.  Conclusions about whether the actions of the deputies are consistent with department policy and the law will not be made until all the facts are known and the investigation is complete.    

San Juan County Clerk Tanya Shelby disqualified Alexander Chambers from running for Mayor of Farmington and Lucas Aaron Almeida-Barnett from running for Bloomfield City Council. Tuesday, August 29, 2023 at 5pm was the deadline for candidates to file to be on the ballot for San Juan County Municipal Elections on Tuesday, November 7, 2023:

San Juan County crews responded in mutual aid and found a house on fire. The fire was kept from spreading beyond the structure, but the house was a total loss. There was one person injured and transported to the hospital.

The initial investigation indicated that a 2003 Subaru, driven by Rachel Kahwajy (31) of Farmington, NM was traveling on NM 539, approaching a tight curve. For reasons still under investigation, Ms. Kahwajy failed to negotiate the curve, and ended up driving over a cliff. She sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased on the scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator. Glenn Taketa (53) of Farmington, a passenger in the vehicle, was also pronounced deceased on scene.

Mr. Whatley is a New Mexico native who has worked in higher education for nearly 21 years.  He is currently employed at Austin Community College and has worked there for the past 14 years.  Mr. Whatley has served as the Dean of Design, Manufacturing, Construction, and Applied Technologies since 2017.  Prior to that, he was the interim dean for two years. Before he served as interim dean, he was the department chair and a professor for the welding technology department. 

The families of the three women killed in Monday's shooting in Farmington have shared information about their lives.  We are happy to share this information about these important members of the Farmington community who were taken in this senseless act:

Rocky Reach Landing, Berg East, Archway Court along with the area around the Red Barn and Nature center are closed for Riverfest. 

Suspect Beau Wilson was found to have been wearing a bulletproof vest at the onset of the event, providing him with additional protection. However, prior to his encounter with Farmington Police officers, he deliberately removed the vest.  There was also a note found on Beau’s body. 

The neighborhood of Dustin Avenue between Ute and Apache was locked down for several hours as the incident unfolded around 11am.  Hospital officials say the facility also went into lockdown and established an Incident Command Center.  The hospital worked closely with law enforcement to ensure the safety of their patients and caregivers. The neighborhood lockdown was lifted shortly before 2pm.

The most immediate change visitors will see is the closure of the front (East) entrance off College Boulevard and the two front parking lots in front of the Learning Commons (A) and Henderson Fine Arts Center (B).  Those closures will begin Monday, May 15, 2023.

At this time, the death does not appear suspicious. The Office of the Medical Investigator will be working with detectives to determine a cause of death.

San Juan Regional Medical Center will host a community meet and greet with Jason Rounds on Thursday, May 4 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Artifacts Gallery in Farmington.

While officers were actively investigating the burglaries, an officer was dispatched to the mall at 9:45 a.m. on April 22, 2023, to investigate two incoherent juvenile subjects. While checking on the juveniles, one was found to have blood all down the front of their pants, and the other was observed to have a handgun in their waistband. When the officer arrested the first juvenile with the handgun, the second fled and hid in a nearby store. As a safety precaution, the mall was put on emergency lockdown.

Attorney Luis Robles recounts that after the officers knocked on the Dotson's front door three times and announced their presence, they "waited calmly for someone to answer the door, but the longer they waited, the more concerned they became. Before taking further action, Officer Wasson contacted dispatch to verify the address of the calling party. Then, Officer Wasson heard the distinctive sound of someone inside the house rack a firearm. Fearing that this person was preparing to shoot at them, all three officers quickly backed away from the porch. 

Attorney Shon Northam says he will make a request for San Juan District Attorney Robert Tedrow and New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez to bring criminal charges of 2nd Degree Murder against the officers involved in the case. A second attorney hired by the family, Mark Reichel, is requesting the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico to bring federal charges against the officers involved for federal civil rights violations.

All of the people are unrelated, occurring in different locations in the Four Corners region. One person died from the virus. The four surviving patients all required hospitalization, including time in intensive care units, before being able to return home.   HPS is a severe respiratory illness is caused by the Sin Nombre virus. In New Mexico, deer mice are the main carriers of Hantavirus. The virus is found in mice droppings and urine. 

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The family of Mr. Robert Dotson, accompanied by their attorney, reviewed the video footage at the San Juan County District Attorney’s Office prior to its public release. The Farmington Police Department continues to offer its sincere condolences to the family during this difficult time.  As with all officer-involved shootings, the investigation is being conducted by an outside agency. The investigation is being led by the New Mexico State Police and remains active and ongoing. The Farmington Police Department is cooperating fully with the State Police as the investigation continues.

 On April 5 at 7:27pm, SJCSO deputies were dispatched to a residence on Road 390 in reference to a missing person.  Family members of Denise Werito were concerned as she never arrived at work that day, her vehicle was not at her residence, and they had not heard from Denise.  While meeting family at the victim’s residence, deputies had cause to force entry into the residence where they found the body of Ms. Werito.  With signs of foul play, the scene was secured and detectives were called in.

For the San Juan Symphony community in Farmington, the merger signals the expansion of opportunities into San Juan County as well, with new concerts and education programs planned to expand into Farmington. “This is an exciting time for the Symphony,” notes Chandra Stubbs, Executive Director. “ We are thrilled to be able to expand our repertoire, utilize the legacy of 3rd Ave. Arts, and create a powerful and lasting impact on the arts in our communities.

When deputies arrived on scene, it was apparent that the two decedents died as a result of a homicide. The decedents are identified as Anthony McCants (26) and Candrick Begay (31).

52 year old Robert Dotson was killed after answering his door armed with a handgun. State Police say at this point in the encounter, officer(s) fired at least one round from their duty weapon(s) striking Mr. Dotson.

Farmington's Citizens Bank has announced plans to build a new headquarters building on the bank's current property in downtown Farmington. The new building will be constructed on the northwest corner of the bank's property at the intersection of West Main Street and Auburn Avenue.  A groundbreaking is expected late this summer, with construction expected to take between 15-18 months.

President Shelly served as a member of the Navajo Nation Council from 1991 to 2007 representing the community of Thoreau, N.M., before being elected as Vice President of the Navajo Nation from 2007 to 2011, and eventually becoming the President from 2011 to 2015. He also served as County Commissioner for McKinley County for eight years.

Farmington Police have two people of interest identified for the homicide from March 23, 2023, that took place in the parking lot of the Animas Valley Mall. Currently, they are being held on unrelated charges, as the circumstances surrounding this shooting are still under investigation. As officers arrived on the scene, March 23, 2023, they found two victims with gunshot wounds.  18-year old Ariana Rosas of Farmington was pronounced dead at the scene.  Authorities are not releasing the identity of a male victim who was taken to the hospital.

Duckett made his announcement to seek a second term as Farmington's Mayor at the 2023 Mayors' Ball, on March 3, 2023.

President Zah had been ill for some time. He was at home yesterday when his family took him to the Tséhootsooí Medical Center in Fort Defiance last evening. He passed away with his family around him.

The much anticipated all-abilities park continues to evolve to life after receiving its official name: Boundless Adventures.

The agreement offers a fairer disciplinary process, transparent lay-off procedures, earlier notifications of non-renewal of contracts, a 1.25% increase in salary, more time for communications with the Board of Trustees as well as other changes.

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The Sheriff's Office says Ferarri exited his truck to check on the other vehicle when the male driver of the passenger car exited his vehicle wielding a metal pipe. As the male advanced towards him, the suspect's dog jumped out of the car and ran towards Sheriff Ferrari. Observing the dog’s behavior and believing the dog was going to attack him, the Sheriff fatally shot the dog.

Rounds was born in Roswell and spent five years at the University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center.  He is very excited to get back to New Mexico. “I’m thrilled to return to New Mexico to join San Juan Regional Medical Center as President and CEO,” Jason Rounds said. “I look forward to collaborating with caregivers and residents to make sure we do all we can for the betterment of our patients and our local communities.” His start date at San Juan Regional Medical Center is expected in early May.

Chief Vega has 27 years of experience in the fire service, serving as a volunteer, paid firefighter, and on various Incident Management Teams on wildfires throughout the country. Vega has served with San Juan County since 2011. Before coming to San Juan County, Chief Vega worked for the US Forest Service, and the Los Pinos Fire Protection District. Chief Vega started his fire service career as a Volunteer Firefighter with the Pagosa Fire Protection District in 1996.

The officer was transported to the hospital and is awake and alert with non-life-threatening injuries.