GRANTS, N.M. – On October 5, 2023, at approximately 12:50 p.m., Grants Police Department responded to a call for service at 1505 E. Santa Fe Ave. Room 241, located at Motel 6. The call reported a removal of persons incident involving a male subject later identified as Hyosang Yoo, who was refusing to vacate his room and had not paid for an additional night.
Grants police officers arrived at the scene and attempted to make contact with Yoo by knocking on the door and announcing his presence multiple times. With no response from inside, a maintenance worker utilized a master key to open the door. The door was deadbolted, but eventually Yoo opened the door.
Upon making contact, Yoo informed officers that he believed the FBI was pursuing him and that they were located next door. According to the police report, Yoo admitted to smoking methamphetamine approximately an hour prior to their arrival and was observed with an open alcoholic beverage resembling a Blue Moon beer.
Officers succeeded in persuading Yoo to exit the room. According to the report, as he was exiting, Yoo attempted to access his vehicle with the intention of leaving. GPD prevented him from doing so, explaining to him that he could not operate his vehicle while impaired. Despite these warnings, Yoo continued to attempt to return to his car, prompting officers to take action.
Officers placed Yoo under arrest, handcuffed him, and placed him in the rear seat of his marked patrol unit. According to the report, officers arrested Yoo because of his apparent impairment due to methamphetamine and alcohol consumption, as well as concerns that he might attempt to drive while impaired.
Yoo was transported to Grants Police Department for the booking process. Throughout the encounter, Yoo persistently claimed that the FBI was pursuing him.
While officers worked on completing the necessary booking paperwork, GPD lieutenants transported Yoo to Cibola General Hospital for a medical jail clearance due to his suspected intoxication with narcotics and alcohol. After receiving medical clearance, and once the booking process was finalized, Yoo was transported to the Cibola County Correctional Center.