GRANTS, N.M. – The case against Jaquari Hezakiyah Porter, the suspect involved in the February 1 officer-involved shooting on I-40, has advanced following a grand jury indictment in Grants District Court. Porter now faces formal felony charges as the case moves closer to trial.
A grand jury indictment was filed on February 28, officially transferring the case to Grants District Court under Judge Amanda Sanchez Villalobos.
Porter’s arraignment was scheduled for March 7 before Judge George P. Eichwald at the Sandoval County Judicial Complex. As of press time, there were no registered updates to his official New Mexico courts profile.
He remains in custody after the court granted pretrial preventive detention on February 28.
The Incident
Authorities allege that on February 1, Porter was involved in a violent crime spree that began with a fatal shooting and carjacking at Sky City Casino on Acoma Pueblo land. He then led law enforcement on a high-speed chase on I-40, which ended near mile marker 81 when he exited the stolen vehicle and opened fire on officers. Law enforcement returned fire, striking Porter before taking him into custody.
No officers were injured in the incident, according to Cibola Sheriff Larry Diaz.
Porter, 24, is facing multiple felony charges, including: • Assault with intent to commit a violent felony on a peace officer (F2)
• Aggravated assault upon a peace officer with a deadly weapon (F3) – 2 counts
• Aggravated fleeing from law enforcement (F4)
• Shooting at or from a motor vehicle (F4)
• Receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle (F4) In addition to his March 7 arraignment, Porter is also scheduled for a detention and preliminary hearing in Grants District Court on the same date.
His case in Albuquerque Metropolitan Court is also ongoing, where he faces additional charges of aggravated fleeing from law enforcement and speeding. A status conference is set for March 17.
After the incident, in a press release, the Cibola County Sheriff’s Office alerted the community that Porter had allegedly committed murder in the Pueblo of Acoma before fleeing and making his way toward Grants where the shootout began. The FBI remains in charge of investigating the homicide at Sky City Casino, which occurred on tribal land. The agency has not yet provided public statements regarding the status of its inquiry.
The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau continues to handle the officer- involved shooting, gathering evidence and reviewing the actions taken by law enforcement during the confrontation on I-40.
The Cibola Citizen will continue to follow this case and provide updates as new information emerges.