Sep. 3—Three Rio Arriba County men face felony charges after New Mexico State Police say they shot at other men just before midnight Sunday on N.M. 68 north of Española.
State police arrested Justin Martinez and Matias Jose Martinez, both of Ohkay Owingeh, and Bradley Abeyta of Alcalde, claiming they led officers on a chase on several county roads in a white Hummer while tossing guns and ammunition from the vehicle.
Abeyta is accused of firing shots at a man and his son, who were traveling in another vehicle, as he was driving on N.M. 68, according to a statement of probable cause. The man told officers the driver, identified as Abeyta, had almost crashed and then “stuck his arm out the window” and fired shots at them, police wrote in the statement.
While officers were talking with the man on the side of the highway, the white Hummer sped by them, the statement says. Police chased the Hummer on two county roads through small communities along the Rio Grande, statement says, claiming passengers in the vehicle tossed ammunition magazines and a rifle out the windows.
Abeyta, 39, faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, aggravated fleeing from police and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to two criminal complaints filed Tuesday in Rio Arriba County Magistrate Court.
Justin Martinez, 33, faces charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and shooting at or from a motor vehicle. Matias Martinez, 39, faces two charges of conspiracy as well as tampering with evidence.
Police wrote in charging documents the three men gave conflicting statements when questioned by officers. Two of them admitted to throwing guns and ammunition out the windows of the vehicle and the third denied seeing any guns or ammunition in the Hummer, according to the documents.
The suspects were booked into the Rio Arriba County jail in Tierra Amarilla early Monday morning. Court hearings were scheduled Wednesday to review their conditions of release.
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