A Plot to Attack Grants

GRANTS, N.M. – A Santa Fe, New Mexico, man with no apparent ties to Grants, N.M. allegedly made threats which were concerning enough to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office that they alerted Grants Police Department to the potential threat. Grants City Hall went under lockdown for a short period of time and businesses were warned about the threat.

According to law enforcement, the threat was allegedly made by a 23-year-old man named James E. Miller. The suspect has loose connections to the Grants area and it is unclear why he would target the community.

Law enforcement encourage residents to stay on alert as Miller has not been found by police. Grants Police Department claims that there is enough evidence to be extra cautious, but say they cannot find evidence to take action over the threats.

The Threat

According to Grants Police Chief Jeff Marez, Miller made threats of violence toward the Grants community to his therapist, who alerted the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office.

The threats included a shooting in Grants, and or a shootout with the police. Chief Marez said that Miller had recently been giving away personal possessions, including his pet, to friends and family.

Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace said that his department learned about the alert from SFCSO before hearing from GPD about the threat, and went to work trying to uncover information about the threat.

GPD, CCSO, the New Mexico State Police and the Village of Milan Police Department were alerted to the threat and are on the lookout for Miller.

As of press time, Miller has not been found.

CODE RED

Despite the threat to public safety, a CODE RED alert was not issued.

CODE RED is an alert system in Cibola County that residents can signs up for at https://www.cibolacountynm.com/ the system alerts to water line ruptures, possible flooding, fire danger, and other issues of community importance that could have an impact to daily life. But on July 21, when the local law enforcement discovered the threat, no CODE RED alert was put out.

Cibola County Emergency Manager Dustin Middleton said that his office handles alerts from the CODE RED system. An alert was not sent out through the phone call alert system because, after consultation with Chief Marez of GPD, the two agreed that the threat was not substantiated and there was no need at the time to blast out a CODE RED alert.

If the threat had been substantiated, and there was a legitimate fear from law enforcement that the threat was real, an alert similar to Amber Alerts would be blasted out to all cellphones in Cibola County, even if they’re not signed up for the CODE RED system.

Manager Middleton said that he understands the frustration with this situation, and recognizes that not every resident of Cibola County has Facebook, where GPD first put out the alert.

To help streamline the process of CODE RED, Middleton wants to set up a system that would differentiate between county calls and city calls, because of the large volume of CODE RED calls which come from the city to warn about broken water lines. Middleton explained that since the broken water line calls started to become a normal alert from the city, only 15 to 20 percent of people registered for CODE RED actually answer the phone.

Middleton explained that the alert system should be used for life threatening emergencies. Since the alert system has had a large decrease in answers, Middleton would send out an alert similar to an Amber Alert to keep everyone in Cibola County, even travelers on the interstate, safe.

Should I be Worried?

In a Facebook post, Grants Police Department wrote:

“The threat of violent people and acts are omnipresent in the world we live in. This is fact. What is also fact is that law enforcement isn't always privy to these threats ahead of time like this one. We as a department chose to alert the public to this potential threat on our community with the knowledge that in all likelihood, it would not come to fruition. That being said, it is up to your discretion on whether you feel you want to continue business as usual or continue with precautionary measures. Neither decision is wrong; it is simply based on what you as a resident, business owner, parent, or leader feel is best for you and your family, employees, students, etc. All we recommend is that you remain vigilant of your surroundings and in your daily activities.”

Sheriff Mace said that residents who spot Miller should call 911 immediately, “If you see some thing, say something,” the sheriff remarked.

What to Look For

Miller is 23-years-old from Santa Fe, N.M., he is tall and stocky with a history of violent tendencies. If you see Miller, do not approach him, he may be armed and dangerous.

Miller is 6’3” tall and weighs 275 pounds. There is no clothing or vehicle description associated with the warning.