Dec. 1, 2001 - Rio Grande Sun
NEW MEXICO-According to documents submitted to the court by police,
Terrazas backed his 1979 Toyota pickup truck into State Police
Officer Hugo Munoz 1998 Ford Crown Victoria patrol car which was
parked at the officer's home about 10 p.m..
Munoz went outside to investigate the crash, but shortly thereafter
Terrazas fled in his truck while Munoz was calling State Police
headquarters to report the incident, but then returned to the scene.
During an interview after his arrest,
Terrazas reportedly told officers
he returned because he felt guilty
about leaving the scene, according
to a police report.
Upon Terrazas' return to the scene of
the accident at Munoz' home, the
officer tried to eliminate the suspect's
potential avenue of escape by blocking the street
with his patrol car and returned inside his home to call
headquarters once again.
Terrazas then drove off with the office's patrol car, according to
police, who refused to say whether or not Munoz had left the engine
running or the keys in the ignition.
Officer Roileen Ross-Weaver, a pubic information officer, would only
say that Terrazas had gained access to the keys. Court documents
contain a similar statement from police investigating the incident.
Garcia Tire, where Terrazas is employed, regularly services State
Police and other law enforcement vehicles that officers leave with
the company for extended periods of time.
One law enforcement source said Munoz' regular patrol car was in
the shop and the wrecked car Terrazas is charged with stealing from
in front of the officer's home was a "loaner" patrol car provided
to him while his regular vehicle was being serviced.
After taking the patrol car, Terrazas once again returned to the
scene upon experiencing guilt pangs over making off with it,
according to police.
However, he then ignored Munoz' instructions to get out of the car
and fled the scene a second time, driving off in the direction of
El Rito, police said.
The wrecked patrol car, which had rolled over and pinned the driver's
side front door shut, was discovered about 10:45 p.m. by Rio Arriba
County Undersheriff Joe Mascarenas who heard about the theft on a
police scanner radio at his home in Ojo Caliente.
"I had a hunch he was headed to Vallecitos so I went up there while
the others were searching in El Rito," Mascarenas said.
Mascarenas said he could see the suspect in the patrol car as well
as the butt of a rifle.
"The car was totaled," said Mascarenas. "He was just sitting in it.
He wasn't trying to escape."
"Since there was a gun in the car and I had no backup, I waited for
the State Police to come arrest him," Mascarenas said. "I had a hard
time reaching them because we were in a 'dead zone' and my radio
wasn't working well."
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