ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – What started as a police chase down North State Road 68 on May 20, ended in a muddy mess, when a suspect fled his truck and jumped off a small hill into the fast-running Rio Grande River. Police officers responded to reports of a suspicious car outside of a local business, which led to the chase.
A person identified as Abel Trujillo, who seemed to regret this decision, was heard asking officers, “There’s not, like, an easier way up there?”
For several minutes, officers tried to lift him as he crawled up the hill. One of the responding officers even recognized Trujillo, who has a criminal history of dealing Xanax and Oxycodone.
The criminal complaint said Trujillo told police he had been living in his truck and was aware that he had several felony warrants out for his arrest. He told them he ran hoping he could avoid being put back into jail.
While he was charged with resisting an officer, reckless driving, and failure to register his vehicle, responding officers believe things could have ended much worse for Trujillo. One officer said, “That big water barrier is right there; he would have got caught in that thing. He made the smart decision by just coming back.”
Online court records show Trujillo was released on pretrial services on May 23. His next court date is July 19.
