Patrol officers secured the area and called for the SWAT team to respond. Negotiators’ attempts to contact Joseph Rino weren’t successful. Officers obtained a search warrant for the house, then The SWAT team and K9s entered the house and arrested Rino without incident.
From Farmington Police
Thursday, January 8, 2020
Farmington police have a man in custody after a brief SWAT standoff yesterday.
Officers were dispatched around 1:50 p.m. to a residence in the 800 block of East 24th Street regarding a man wanted on felony warrants. Officers arrived and could hear a man and woman fighting inside the home. The woman came out to talk to officers and confirmed that the wanted man, 28-year-old Joseph Rino, was still inside the house.
Patrol officers secured the area and called for the SWAT team to respond. Negotiators’ attempts to contact Rino weren’t successful. Officers obtained a search warrant for the house, then The SWAT team and K9s entered the house and arrested Rino without incident.
Rino was served on the warrants for Aggravated Battery Against a Household Member, False Imprisonment, and Battery Against a Household Member. He was also charged with Resisting, Evading, or Obstructing an officer.
The initial call was received at 5:23 AM. The individual was identified from video surveillance. The male was contacted by Durango Police Department Patrol and is now in custody. He has been identified as Joe Brinkerhoff, a resident of the City of Durango. Due to a prior incident, Joe Brinkerhoff was trespassed from the property and his Rec Center privileges were suspended.
After a thorough and ongoing investigation by detectives and working with the district attorney's office, a thorough review of the case was conducted, and the decision to proceed with criminal charges was made. A warrant was issued to charge Heather Fernandez-Hoefer. She was taken into custody without incident on April 1, 2025.
Upon arrival, deputies made contact with multiple individuals including juveniles and young adults and located a deceased individual identified as Samuell Tariq Liggins, age 20.
Following an extensive investigation by Farmington Police Department detectives, an arrest warrant was issued for 40-year-old Matthew Sandoval, who is known to have a family connection to Madrid, who has been charged with 1st Degree Murder and Tampering with Evidence. On March 28, Sandoval was located by U.S. Marshals in the 400 block of W. Animas. Farmington Police officers responded and arrested Sandoval on the outstanding warrant.
Invited guests will tour the temple, the afternoon of July 14, and all day on July 15 and 16, 2025. A public open house will run from July 17 to August 2, 2025, excluding Sundays.
Officers canvassed the area for the suspect; however, investigators believe the individual left the area prior to police arrival. The Farmington Police Department is releasing a video of a person of interest. The video shows a male on a bicycle headed east on Navajo Street towards Lincoln Avenue. The Farmington Police Department urges anyone with information or video surveillance from the area to contact detectives at 505-599-1068.
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