NMSP says sheriff's office screwed up

SANTA FE (KRQE) - A car police say was used in a deadly DWI crash is at the center of an ongoing dispute between New Mexico State Police and the vehicle police say was used in a deadly DWI crash is at the center of an ongoing dispute between New Mexico State Police and the Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators say Juan de Dios Cordova was driving a pickup truck when he hit and killed motorcyclist Mark Wolfe last year, but the vehicle in question was crushed after a tow truck company holding it, sold it.

The towing company's owner, Freddie Seeds, claims there was never a towing report that told him he needed to hold the truck for evidence and says deputies told him it was okay to release the truck when he asked; Rio Arriba County Sheriff Thomas Rodella says Seeds was verbally told not to release the truck.

Cordova's defense cried foul saying the truck was key to its case, because Cordova claimed he was not behind the wheel at the time of the crash because it had been stolen. Police say Cordova ran from the scene on foot, although there was another passenger in the car.

To get to the bottom of what happened, a Santa Fe district judge asked NMSP to investigate the matter, authorizing a search warrant wherein the Sheriff's Office's computers were seized.

In its 14-page report, NMSP found the Sheriff's Office was at fault, blaming administration for not securing the truck themselves and not following proper procedures but Rodella fired back Monday, calling the report by NMSP a "hatchet job", saying it was not a fair or true investigation.

Rodella told News 13 in a phone interview that a major problem with the report is that it doesn't address what he calls contradictory statements made by Seeds to investigators looking at the case. He also promised his department would conduct an investigation of its own into what happened with the truck.

"We take complete responsibility for the missteps that were taken but certainly what has occurred cannot be blamed on the Rio Arriba Sheriff's Office," said Rodella. "It's a poor example of a report, but a complete investigation I do promise the people of the county."

Rodella said he's disturbed that the report was completed in November but was not given to his department until recently.

The Sheriff's Office has been criticized for other parts of its handling of the case.

Cordova's defense has asked why five hours after the crash blood draw was and questioned how the sample was stored.

An NMSP spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
iba County Sheriff's Office.

The car in question, a pickup truck investigators say Juan de Dios Cordova was driving when he hit and killed motorcyclist Mark Wolfe last year, was crushed after the tow truck company holding it sold it.

The towing company's owner, Freddie Seeds, claims there was never a towing report that told him he needed to hold the truck for evidence and says deputies told him it was okay to release the truck when he asked.

But Rio Arriba County Sheriff Thomas Rodella says Seeds was verbally told not to release the truck.

Cordova's defense cried foul saying the truck was key to its case, because Cordova claimed he was not behind the wheel at the time of the crash because it had been stolen. Police say Cordova ran from the scene on foot, although there was another passenger in the car.

To get to the bottom of what happened, a Santa Fe district judge asked NMSP to investigate the matter, authorizing a search warrant wherein the Sheriff's Office's computers were seized.

In its 14-page report, NMSP found the Sheriff's Office was at fault, blaming administration for not securing the truck themselves and not following proper procedures.

But Rodella fired back today, calling the report a "hatchet job" by NMSP and saying it was not a fair or true investigation.

Rodella told News 13 in a phone interview that a major problem with the report is that it doesn't address what he calls contradictory statements made by Seeds to investigators looking at the case. He also promised his department would conduct an investigation of its own into what happened with the truck.

"We take complete responsibility for the missteps that were taken but certainly what has occurred cannot be blamed on the Rio Arriba Sheriff's Office," said Rodella. "It's a poor example of a report, but a complete investigation I do promise the people of the county."

Rodella said he's disturbed that the report was completed in November but was not given to his department until recently.

The Sheriff's Office has been criticized for other parts of its handling of the case. Cordova's defense has asked why a blood draw was taken five hours after the crash and questioned how the sample was stored.

An NMSP spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on this story.