Undersheriff for Rio Arriba County subject of probe

The Rio Arriba County undersheriff is the subject of an investigation following the arrest of the county’s sheriff in an obstruction case.

According to KOB-TV, special prosecutor Andrea Reeb said she is looking into the actions of Undersheriff Martin Trujillo in connection with a May 21 incident.

The Española Police Department and Taos County Sheriff ’s Office were attempting on that day to serve a warrant for a cellphone from Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan.

A Taos County deputy said Trujillo ordered Rio Arriba County sheriff ’s deputies to draw their guns on the investigators.

A letter from the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office called for an investigation to see if Trujillo was “directing deputies to point weapons at officers.”

The Rio Arriba County Sheriff ’s Office declined to comment.

Court records show Lujan has been charged with resisting or obstructing an officer after he allegedly failed to comply with a search warrant being executed for his cellphone. Authorities executed the warrant as part of an investigation into separate charges filed against Lujan earlier this year.

In that case, Lujan is accused of showing up under the influence of alcohol to a SWAT standoff in Española and trying to order officers away.

Española police officers had surrounded the home of Phillip Chacon, who was wanted in the beating and stabbing of another man.

Lujan attempted to take over the scene, walked into the line of fire known as the “kill zone” to knock on the door of the house and ignored officers’ shouts to leave the area, according to the criminal complaint in that case.

Chacon eventually surrendered and was arrested.