Farmington police investigate shooting

December 17, 2021 Farmington Police Department Uncategorized Farmington Police Department

Farmington, N.M. – The Farmington Police Department is investigating a shooting that resulted in a death late Wednesday, December 15, 2021.

After receiving numerous reports of shots fired, officers responded to a house in the 700 block of Zuni Dr around 9:15 p.m. The officers located a man with a gunshot wound to his chest on scene. The man, later identified as 45-year-old Farmington resident Iran Olguin, was immediately transported to San Juan Regional Medical Center by paramedics. Olguin died later in the night.
The incident remains under investigation, and further information will be provided as it becomes available. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the FPD Detective Tip Line at 505-599-1068.

Body found in Nevada confirmed to be missing New Mexico woman

July 2, 2021 Farmington Police Department Uncategorized Farmington Police Department

Farmington, N.M. – The body of missing New Mexico woman, Cecelia Finona, was identified in Clark County, Nevada. Farmington police detectives have been working closely with several law enforcement agencies, including Sparks Police Department and Las Vegas Metro Police Department, in their search for Cecelia since she went missing in late May of 2019. The primary person of interest in the case, Jerry Jay, is still in custody on charges in Nevada from June of 2019. The Farmington Police Department filed the charges of Murder in the 1st degree, Kidnapping 1st degree, and Tampering with Evidence against Jay on July 2, 2021.

Cecelia was last seen by family members on May 30, 2019, and was reported missing on June 1, 2019. Her boyfriend, 59-year-old Jerry Jay, was also missing from the residence, and evidence found at the home led Farmington detectives to be very concerned for the safety of Cecelia. Sparks PD arrested Jay on June 5, 2019, on charges of Possession of a Credit Card without Owner’s Consent and Fraudulent Use of a Credit or Debit Card. Remains were located in Clark County, Nevada, by a citizen in February of 2021; those remains were identified as Cecelia through DNA on June 30.

Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe issued the following statement regarding this case, “Today we have very mixed feelings. This marks the ending of two years of searching, and we’re deeply saddened at the outcome. We will continue working as we have since the day she disappeared to ensure the person responsible for this is held accountable. We offer our most heartfelt condolences to Cecelia’s family and friends.”

Cecelia was a US Army veteran. Family and friends describe her as a good-hearted person who cared about people and a leader in the community who made a difference.

The Farmington Police Department would like to thank Sparks Police Department, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Clark County Coroner’s Office, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Division, and the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the case. FPD would also like to thank the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office for their help with multiple searches in the area.

PRESS RELEASE: Farmington police are taking a proactive approach to combating property crime

February 12, 2018 Farmington Police Department Impact Teams, Press Releases Farmington, Farmington Police Department, New Mexico, Police, property crime

Farmington, NM - The Farmington Police Department is working to combat property crime with a newly implemented program – impact teams. The teams are led by a corporal and comprised of one member of each of the following divisions: patrol, detectives, District Coordinator Unit, and traffic. Their monthly operations are carried out using a data-driven approach to decrease crime in problem areas. Target crimes include residential burglary, auto burglary and shoplifting. The team chooses a specific crime and location according to data provided by FPD’s crime analyst. “Property crimes are among some of the most difficult to investigate and incredibly frustrating for our citizens,” said Capt. Dowdy. “By taking a proactive, data-driven approach to these types of crimes, we hope to greatly reduce the number of occurrences.”

The impact team’s initial operation took place in September 2017; they’ve since conducted five successful operations. December’s operation targeted shoplifting at select major retail stores and resulted in 23 arrests; the highest number thus far. Of those arrests, 19 were from warrants, 11 from shoplifting charges, four trespassing charges, seven drug-related charges and one open container charge. The team’s most recent operation took place in January and focused on burglaries in known problem areas; six arrests and three citations were issued. Of those arrests, two were of individuals who had warrants for burglary.

The program’s overall success will be measured by the number of arrests made in addition to whether or not target crimes in specific areas decrease. “The safety and well-being of the community are of the utmost importance to FPD,” said Capt. Dowdy. “We will continue to monitor crime trends, analyze the effectiveness of this new program and adjust our approach to addressing these crimes as appropriate.”

PRESS RELEASE: DWI checkpoints to be conducted in August

July 25, 2016July 25, 2016 Farmington Police Department DWI Checkpoints, Press Releases, Uncategorized DWI, DWI Checkpoints, Farmington Police Department, New Mexico

Farmington, NM – The Farmington Police Department, in partnership with surrounding law enforcement agencies, will be conducting DWI checkpoints during the month of August. The checkpoints are part of the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s 100 Days and Nights of Summer campaign. The campaign runs from June through September. These checkpoints are in addition to FPD’s ongoing RADD campaign (Report Aggressive and Drunk Drivers), which encourages citizens to call 911 to report aggressive and drunk drivers.

Message from the chief

July 18, 2016July 18, 2016 Farmington Police Department Messages from the Chief, Uncategorized Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Police, Chief Hebbe, Farmington Police Department, FPD, Law Enforcement, Police

Moment of silence for Baton Rouge law enforcement

Greetings community,

As everyone is already aware, another horrific act of violence transpired over the weekend. Six more officers were targeted and shot; three of those officers were killed and a fourth is still fighting for his life. Such attacks on law enforcement are destructive to our communities and our country as a whole. While we all pray this does not become the “new normal,” Baton Rouge and Dallas have reminded us of the danger faced by officers every day.

The Farmington Police Department will be honoring the fallen officers by wearing badge bands until Thursday morning. Additionally, we have been contacted by many citizens who share our feelings of sadness and anger over events from the past two weeks. There is only so much we can do as individuals. Together, however, we can make a statement. Today, FPD will line up at 4:00 p.m. outside the Farmington Museum located at 3041 E. Main St. for a moment of silence in honor of the fallen/injured Baton Rouge officers and deputies. Dispatch will only send officers to emergency calls at this time. Our employees will activate their overheads and stand along Main Street, silently, for five minutes paying their respects to the men and women of Baton Rouge law enforcement and their community.

The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Aztec, Bloomfield, and Navajo Police Departments, and New Mexico State Police are invited to join us at the museum or in their respective communities. To any citizens who wish to participate, you may come to the museum and stand alongside our employees. If you can’t make it, we invite everyone to step outside their home or business at 4:00 and simply stand in unison until 4:05.

Alone or in small groups, watching these events unfold can feel overwhelming and hopeless. However, together, taking a few minutes to pause and stand as one, reminds each of us and everyone around the world, that we can make a difference. We can stand against hate and anarchy – against all those who see only the dark side of our nation. The three officers, and all our men and women in blue, stand for what is right in our country.

God bless the U.S.A. and protect all of us during these difficult times.

Chief Steve Hebbe

Traffic Tip Tuesday: Motorcycle vs vehicle crash test

May 31, 2016May 31, 2016 Farmington Police Department Traffic Tip Tuesday crash test, Farmington, Farmington Police Department, motorcycle, motorcycle safety

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. This month’s Traffic Tip Tuesday topics are dedicated to safe motorcycle riding.

To wrap up our series on motorcycle safety, I want to illustrate why I have been discussing the topics we’ve covered. I want all motorists to be as safe as they can be; motorcycle and bicycle riders are at the highest risk of being injured in a collision. I was very fortunate to attend the 2016 ARC-CSI Crash Conference in Las Vegas, NV. During the conference, I observed crash testing and was provided data, photos and videos of the crashes performed. Several of the tests involved motorcycles. As an avid motorcyclist and safety advocate, I was extremely interested in observing these tests.

The test we will discuss and watch video from, is a motorcycle vs passenger car. The impact is on the rear door of the passenger side of the car with the front end of the motorcycle. This test simulates an intersection crash. As there are no stop signs or traffic signals on the test track, we have to use some imagination. One of the vehicles fails to yield to the other and a crash occurs. Regardless of who commits the yield violation, we will see it would end poorly for the motorcyclist. This is a fairly low speed test, about 20 to 30 mph on the motorcycle. The car is stationary when struck. I wish there would have been a biomechanical dummy on the motorcycle, but we can imagine what would happen to the rider in this collision.

Videos provided courtesy of Collision Publishing and ARC (Accident Reconstruction Network).

Although no safety equipment can guarantee the rider’s safety, it greatly increases the survivability of the rider. A few years ago I was involved in a collision very similar to this one. A vehicle failed to stop at a red light and I hit the driver’s side passenger door. I was thrown from my motorcycle and landed on the asphalt, striking the back of my head on the pavement. Had I not been wearing my helmet, I would have sustained a serious brain injury, if not killed. I was fortunate and walked away from the crash. The safety gear saved me from serious injury. In short, it worked.

In closing, I would encourage you, as riders and passengers, to wear safety equipment and learn advanced riding techniques. Make the investment in yourself and your family.

Above all, ride safe and have fun!

Martin Snowbarger has been a law enforcement officer for 18 years. He’s worked for the Farmington Police Department for 15 years and in Raton, NM for three years. Officer Snowbarger has been with FPD’s Traffic Division since 2003 and has been a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician and Traffic Collision Reconstructionist for 11 years.

PRESS RELEASE: DWI checkpoints to be conducted in June

May 26, 2016May 26, 2016 Farmington Police Department DWI Checkpoints, Press Releases checkpoints, drunk driving, DWI, Farmington, Farmington Police Department

Farmington, NM – The Farmington Police Department, in partnership with other area law enforcement agencies, will be conducting DWI checkpoints during the month of June. These checkpoints are part of a continuing effort to reduce the number of injuries and deaths related to drunk driving. The DWI checkpoints are in addition to FPD’s ongoing R.A.D.D. campaign, which encourages citizens to call 911 to report aggressive and drunk drivers. There were a total of 794 DWI arrests made by Farmington police in 2015, 242 of those arrests were from citizen calls. The Farmington Police Department would like to thank the public for taking an active role in helping to keep our roadways safe. We encourage everyone to remember and participate in R.A.D.D. – report aggressive and drunk drivers.