GRANTS, N.M. – The trial of Erik O. Garcia, the Mayor of Grants, has reached its conclusion with the mayor being convicted of battery against City Councilor George Garcia. The mayor is required to pay a fine to Roberta’s Place domestic shelter.
The conviction stems from an incident following a contentious city council meeting in May 2023, marking the culmination of a series of conflicts and legal proceedings that have unfolded over the past year.
According to court records, Mayor Garcia allegedly shoved Councilor Garcia from behind, in the doorway of then-City Manager Donald Jaramillo’s office.
The altercation occurred on May 19, 2023, after a special city council meeting convened to discuss the rotation of the mayor pro tem position, which was held by Councilor Garcia. The pro tem position is one that the mayor is required to appoint as according to the existing Grants City Charter. During this meeting, the council voted 3-1 to retain Councilor George Garcia in the role, despite Mayor Erik Garcia’s request to change the pro tem to Councilor Zach Gutirrez. This decision was part of ongoing tensions within the council, which had been escalating since a critical vote on public safety and local taxes in August 2022.
After failing to secure his nominee to the position, Mayor Garcia expressed his frustration with the city council. He said, “This is the green chile mafia type of behavior where you just gang up and try to not try to go forward and move the city of Grants forward. People, I am trying to move this forward as you all see. We will be the safest, cleanest community.”
According to the conviction, Mayor Garcia elbowed Councilor Garcia in the back while passing him in the doorway, using vulgar language during the altercation. The defense argued that the incident was a result of the mayor’s frustration with what he perceived as efforts to undermine his leadership and hinder the city’s progress.
Following the incident, Councilor Garcia sought medical attention at Cibola General Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a thoracic back sprain. Councilor Garcia announced his intention to press charges, initiating a long process of finding a prosecutor willing to take on the case. The 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Of- fice initially refused to prosecute due to conflicts of interest, leading to further delays as judges recused themselves from the case.
Ultimately, the Administrative Office of the District Attorney decided to pursue the case, and Sandoval County Magistrate Judge Delilah M. Montano-Baca was assigned to preside. After multiple postponements and venue changes, the case was finally heard, resulting in Mayor Garcia’s conviction.
Following the conviction, Mayor Garcia was ordered to write a formal apology to Councilor George Garcia and to pay $50 to Roberta’s Place, a local domestic violence prevention shelter. The conviction, though a petty misdemeanor, serves as a reminder that public officials are not above the law.
Robert Zamora, the attorney representing Councilor George Garcia, emphasized the importance of accountability, stating, “It’s embarrassing, but he does feel that the mayor does need to be held accountable and hopefully that this does teach him that this kind of conduct isn’t appropriate and isn’t going to be tolerated by someone in such a position.”
As of now, there has been no official statement from the council regarding any plans to address the leadership role of Mayor Garcia.
In a written statement to the Cibola Citizen, Mayor Garcia wrote, “It’s unfortunate that it has come to this. Sometimes, as a mayor, you have to deal with issues like this. It builds leadership and sometimes creates a story. I love being the mayor of my community. [On July 2] I get to talk to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham about the issues we all face in our community after the Black Mesa storm last week. I have the privilege of being your voice, and I am confident that we will move forward and continue making Grants, NM the cleanest and safest community in New Mexico.”
The community now awaits further developments regarding the mayor’s role and the future of leadership in the City of Grants.