SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office has applied for a search warrant for Alec Baldwin’s cell phone regarding the “Rust” investigation. The sheriff’s office reports in a news release that the warrant was specifically for the cell phone and its contents and was approved by a Santa Fe County Magistrate Judge on the same day it was applied for, Dec. 16, 2021.
SFCSO states that the lead detective served the approved warrant through email to Baldwin via his legal representative. Baldwin’s attorney reportedly acknowledged receipt of the warrant and deputies state over the next day or two the lead detective was in contact with the attorney regarding compliance with the warrant.
Authorities report that when Baldwin had not immediately provided his phone to the initial search warrant, SFCSO reached out for assistance from the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office who began working with Baldwin’s attorney to retrieve the phone. The Sheriff’s Office indicates that they were advised that due to concerns regarding jurisdiction, the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office would be facilitating the retrieval of the phone on a consent basis.
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SFCSO reports that on Dec. 20, 2021, the department was notified that the Santa Fe District Attorney was in negotiations with Baldwin’s attorney to obtain consent to retrieve the phone and its contents. However, as of Jan. 13, 2022, the cell phone has not been turned over to authorities.
In an Instagram post on Jan. 8, Baldwin said that he is cooperating with the investigation and that New Mexico has to go through New York law enforcement and specify exactly what is needed which takes time. “Any suggestion that I am not complying with requests or orders or demands or search warrants about my phone, that’s bull****, that’s a lie,” said Baldwin in the video.
The news release from SFCSO comes just a day after a new lawsuit accused an ammunition supplier of creating dangerous conditions on the set of “Rust”. The lawsuit was filed by Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer of the film’s set and places blame on ammunition supplier Seth Kenney and his company PDQ Arm & Prop.
