CRIME

Three people taken into custody after Alamogordo standoff

Dylan Taylor-Lehman
Alamogordo Daily News
A female subject was taken into custody following a three-hour standoff on Post Avenue Monday evening. Nobody was hurt in the incident, said APD Chief Brian Peete.

ALAMOGORDO – Two women and one man were taken into custody by the Alamogordo Police Department following a three-hour standoff in the 1000 block of Post Avenue.

Alamogordo Police Chief Brian Peete said, no one was hurt in the incident and no shots were fired by law enforcement.

“It’s an unfortunate situation but fortunately everything turned out well,” Peete said. “No one was hurt, no one was shot.”

One man and one woman were arrested on the street earlier in the evening while another woman was arrested at about 8:45 p.m. after negotiators used tear gas to get her to come out of the home, Peete said.

He said due to the ongoing investigation, no further details are being released at this time. 

“We want to make sure we look thoroughly into the incident before we release more information,” he said.

The identity of the man and woman taken into custody and the reason for the standoff are not being released because an investigation is still pending, said Alamogordo Police Chief Brian Peete.

The incident began around 6 p.m. when Alamogordo Animal Control officers observed the man and woman fighting outside the Post Avenue home then Animal control officers called APD, Peete said.

“Officers observed there was an on-scene disturbance, and when they attempted to confront the issue, that’s when the suspect led them on a chase and into the trailer,” he said.

Las Cruces and the New Mexico State Police SWAT were called in when one of the suspects stated to police that they had a gun and refused to come out of the house, Peete said. U.S. Border Patrol agents also responded to the 1000 block of Post Avenue, he said.

“We believed the woman was armed and we turned the scene over to the State Police,” Peete said. “Alamogordo doesn’t have the resources to deal with that.”

By 6:15 p.m. officers blocked off the intersections in a one block radius of where the incident was taking place. State Police officers stood guard on each corner and neighbors were asked to stay in their homes.

Police vehicles block the intersections near a standoff that took place Monday evening on Post Avenue.

Officers intermittently spoke with the subject via telephone while she was inside, said APD Capt. Roger Schoolcraft.

Neighbors said they heard loud pops during the incident and that streetlights near the home were turned off.

“We were out here and heard “Boom! Boom!”” said Veronica Reyes, who lives nearby.

Two flash-bang grenades were used early in the incident, Peete confirmed.

Peete said nobody else was in the home following the subject’s arrest, but information regarding rumors that more individuals were arrested during the incident and whether those arrested had weapons is not presently available.

“We’re still conducting the investigation,” Peete said. “Our Criminal Investigations Division folks are going to continue to look into what happened. If there are going to be any charges introduced, they’re going to be the ones to do that. For now, we’re just happy that everyone’s OK."