Lawsuit filed over deceased Belen officer’s alleged sex crimes

10-12-15 New Mexico:

BELEN, N.M. (KRQE) – A former Belen police officer is the subject of a federal lawsuit filed Monday. The allegations are alarming: having a sexual relationship with a student, but what makes this case even more unusual is that the officer is now deceased.

Mike Esquibel, 45, killed himself in September as a criminal investigation into him intensified. He may be gone, but attorneys say that’s not stopping them from fighting for justice on behalf of a young woman.

For eight years, Esquibel served the community of Belen. He was on the police department and served as a school resource officer. But according to the federal lawsuit, Esquibel had a dark secret, an inappropriate relationship with a student that started when she was in seventh grade.

“He had very serious problems where he abused and exploited his position of authority,” said attorney Michael Hart, who represents the alleged victim.

Inmate at San Juan County Adult Detention Center fatally hangs self

12-22-2014 New Mexico:

FARMINGTON — An inmate died after hanging himself with a shredded bed sheet in his cell at the San Juan County Adult Detention Center on Monday, according to authorities.

Stephen Freeman, 53, from Bloomfield, was scheduled for a jury trial in Aztec District Court on Dec. 30 for narcotic drug charges among other charges, according to court records. He also was a convicted sex offender, according to court records.

Freeman showed no signs he was contemplating suicide, said Cory Tanner, a San Juan County Sheriff's Office detective lieutenant.

"His neighboring cell mates said that he didn't say anything about it," he said.

Deputies were dispatched to the jail before noon, according to a sheriff's office press release. Sheriff's office Detective Sgt. Kyle Lincoln said medics also responded.

Sex offender commits suicide in jail cell

11-21-2000 New Mexico:

PORTALES, N.M. A convicted sex offender who had been arrested and jailed this month on multiple new felony charges involving sex with a young child hanged himself Sunday morning inside his cell at the Roosevelt County Detention Center, Sheriff C.D. Newberry Jr. said Monday.

The body of Alfonso P. Gonzales, 38, of Portales was discovered hanging from a bed sheet tied to an air vent in his jail cell about 6:20 a.m. MST on Sunday, Newberry said.

The death marked the first suicide in the detention center's new facility, which was built in the mid-1980s, officials said.

Gonzales had been in custody at the Roosevelt County Detention Center since Nov. 8, when he was arrested on five first-degree felony charges of criminal sexual penetration of a minor; two third-degree felony charges of criminal sexual contact with a minor; and one charge of failure to register as a convicted sex offender, New Mexico State Police investigator Steve Mulkey said.

Gonzales' case had just been presented to a Roosevelt County grand jury on Thursday, when he was indicted on four of the charges of criminal sexual penetration of a minor and the two charges of criminal sexual contact with a minor, according to court records.

The additional charge of failure to register as a convicted sex offender was dropped because there were questions about his previous conviction coming before New Mexico's sex offender notification law took effect, officials said.

The more recent sexual molestation offenses took place with a child under 13 years of age between Oct. 29 and Nov. 6, court records show.

Gonzales was being held in lieu of $75,000 cash-only bond, according to jail records.

Authorities believe Gonzales hanged himself between 4:30 a.m. Sunday, when detention center officers conducted a routine check of inmates, and 6:20 a.m. Sunday, when the inmates in his section of the jail were being let out of their cells for breakfast, Newberry said.

Gonzales was alone in his locked cell, which was part of a day room with seven other cells housing nine other inmates.

An inmate who saw Gonzales hanging inside his cell immediately alerted detention officers.

Detention center employees and Portales Fire Department emergency medical technicians were unable to revive Gonzales.

Gonzales was not on suicide watch because he had not given any indication to officers or inmates that he planned to kill himself, Newberry said. ..Source.. by JANET BRESENHAM, Morris News Service

Child-rape suspect dies after jailing

12-9-2011 New Mexico:

Man charged with alleged crimes from 20 years ago

BERNALILLO, N.M. (KRQE) - An accused child rapist arrested late Thursday is headed for a mortuary instead of court after being found dead in his jail cell.

Rio Rancho police busted Stephen Vincent, 52, Thursday night after he eluded arrest for months on charges of child rape and child abuse.

Just after 3:30 a.m. the Sandoval County Detention Center notified the sheriff's department that Vincent had apparently committed suicide in his cell.

The official cause of death still must be determined by the state Office of the Medical Investigator.

Jail officials have not returned calls from News 13 asking for comment.

A grand jury in Albuquerque had indicted Vincent in September for alleged crimes dating to the early 1990s.

The district attorney's office said once they get a copy of Vincent's death certificate the case against him will be dismissed. ..Source.. by KASA.com Amanda Goodman

NM- Body found near airport

3-5-2007 New Mexico:

LAS CRUCES — Doña Ana sheriff's investigators are looking into the suspicious death of a man found inside a hangar near the Santa Teresa Airport in southern Doña Ana County. A source has confirmed that the body is that of Arturo Carreon, a former officer with the El Paso Police Department who was fired in 1998 after he was charged and convicted of having sex with a teenage girl.

Sheriff's investigator Sgt. Mark Perea said authorities were called to a hangar at 100 Lindbergh in Santa Teresa about 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 by a security guard patrolling the area. Perea said the victim was found with a gunshot wound to the head, but investigators did not find a gun at the scene. An El Paso police source, who asked not to be identified because the onging investigation, confirmed the body was that of Carreon, 37.

Teacher found dead hours after rape indictment

7-18-2007 New Mexico:

A longtime New Mexico teacher accused of rape has been found dead in his apartment.

Frank Garcia, 52, of Espanola was indicted Monday on three counts of rape for allegedly molesting an 11-year-old member of his family.

Police say they were also investigating accusations that Garcia molested students in a classroom at Carlos Vigil Middle School where he worked.

"Allegations had come about that he had been inappropriately touching female students in his class room. This happened back in March of this year,” said Sgt. Christian Lopez of Espanola Police.

Just hours after his indictment Monday, Garcia was found dead in his Albuquerque apartment near Louisiana and Lomas NE. Espanola police tell Eyewitness News 4 the Office of the Medical Investigators ruled Garcia died of complications with alcohol.

Because of his death, Garcia’s case will not go further and is considered closed. ..more.. by KOB.com


Española teacher in sex abuse probe found dead
7-19-2007 New Mexico:

Police say Frank Garcia apparently died of complications from alcohol abuse

A 53-year-old Española middle school teacher under investigation for inappropriately touching female students was found dead in Albuquerque earlier this week, police said Wednesday.

Frank Garcia, who taught history at Carlos Vigil Middle School for at least 20 years, also was indicted two weeks ago by a Sandoval County grand jury on three counts of second-degree criminal sexual contact of a minor, said Lemuel Martinez, 13th Judicial District attorney. The charges stemmed from allegations that Garcia molested an 11-year-old female relative, Martinez said.

Detective Christian Lopez of the Española Police Department said Garcia was found dead Monday in Albuquerque, apparently of complications from alcohol abuse, according to an autopsy. His death was not a suicide, Lopez said.

Española police began investigating Garcia in March when detectives received allegations that he inappropriately touched seven female students’ legs, Lopez said. The school immediately placed Garcia on leave, Lopez said.

Garcia was in the hospital in Española last month with liver problems, Lopez said. At the time, Española police gathered DNA from him for Rio Rancho police, who were investigating the family member molestation allegations, Lopez said. However, Garcia got out of the hospital and disappeared, and had been ignoring requests from Española police for an interview, Lopez said.

He was indicted on the three molestation charges in Rio Rancho on July 5, according to online court records.

Family members became concerned about Garcia because they hadn’t heard from in a while and he hadn’t been feeling well. A brother-in-law called Albuquerque police just before 6 p.m. Monday to ask them to check on Garcia, and police found him dead in his apartment at the corner of Lomas and Louisiana in northeast Albuquerque.

Garcia had faced charges of inappropriately touching students in 1992, Lopez said. Online court records state that a jury acquitted Garcia of nine counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and four counts of battery in January 1993. ..more.. by Jason Auslander

Sex-crimes figure apparent suicide

5-18-2007 New Mexico:
SANTA FE -- The investigation into a series of sexual assaults in Santa Fe took a new twist this morning when a “person of interest” in the crimes apparently hanged himself in his jail cell.

Santa Fe County Detention Center staff found David Giba, 44, hanging from his bunk about 4:30 a.m. His death is likely a suicide, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department which is continuing to investigate the death.

Giba was arrested last week and charged with indecent exposure after a surveillance camera recorded a man walking into a Santa Fe business last month and then walking out in his underwear.

He was one of two men recently arrested by Santa Fe police in separate cases and drawn into the ongoing sex-crimes investigation.

Giba was arrested in the flashing case last week and changed in another case Wednesday in which he's accused of attacking a woman at a Santa Fe business in September.

According to the sheriff’s department, Giba left behind three notes now being studied by investigators: one on his cell wall, one addressed to friends and family and one for Santa Fe police detectives.

“All I can really say is that he indicated he was going to commit suicide,” sheriff’s Maj. Ron Madrid said. “At this point they’re going over the notes.

“A lot of the handwriting is hard to read.”

Giba reportedly had undergone a psychological evaluation after being jailed and was not considered to be at risk for suicide.

He was being held in the jail segregation unit and not allowed contact with other inmates because of the sensitive, high--profile nature of his case.

Santa Fe police Chief Eric Johnson said it is not yet known how Giba’s death will affect the investigation into the series of sexual assault stretching back into last year. There also is concern about collecting DNA from Giba’s body for use in the investigation, he said. ..more.. by KRQE News 13