MDC Guards arrested after bar brawl

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - More employees of the Metropolitan Detention Center are in trouble.

Albuquerque police arrested two jail guards and a third man Monday night after a vicious brawl at the Hooters in northwest Albuquerque.

Matthew Sedillo, 22, and Jonathan Garcia, 23, have both worked at MDC for three years, MDC Chief Ramon Rustin said.

A third man, Gabriel Salas, 22 was also arrested in connection with the fight.

All three are charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery.

Police are not quite sure what specifically set the brawl off, but according to the criminal complain t, Salas got in the face of another man.

The complaint goes on to allege Sedillo then broke a beer mug on the man’s head and stabbed him with shards of the broken glass.

Police said that is when Sedillo’s co-worker, Garcia, got in on the action dousing the crowd with pepper spray.

“It’s very concerning, very frustrating,” Rustin said.

He said this is not the first time Sedillo and Garcia have been in trouble.

In fact Rustin said he actually fired Sedillo earlier this year after he was arrested for domestic violence in April.

“Employees do have the right to grieve terminations, suspensions, things like that, and through that process he was brought back,” Rustin said.  Sedillo had only been back at work for about a month, he added.

Garcia has also faced disciplinary action at work. Rustin said he was given a three-day suspension but would not say why.

He said both men could now be fired.

“I’ve been constantly telling employees their off-duty conduct does affect this organization,” Rustin said.

He said it will take about a week or so to determine Garcia and Sedillo’s fates.  In the meantime they are on paid leave.

Rustin said Sedillo was free on bail for his domestic violence case when he was arrested Monday night and that being at a bar violated his conditions of release.