In a late-night encounter on November 18, 2023, Officer Steven Shutiva of the Lobo Canyon Police Department arrested a man for driving a vehicle with a suspended license and an outstanding bench warrant for non-payment of child support.
The incident unfolded at approximately 10:47 p.m. when Shutiva, on patrol in a marked unit and in full uniform, noticed a pickup truck turning north onto Lobo Canyon Road from Cordova Court. The gray Ford F150 pickup quickly gained speed, traveling along the center continuous turn lane between the painted yellow lines. Concerned about the vehicle's behavior, Shutiva activated his emergency lights and siren, signaling the driver to pull over.
Instead of stopping, the driver continued north on Lobo Canyon Road, eventually turning right onto Los Alamitos Heights Drive before making a left onto Blue Spruce Drive. The vehicle finally pulled into the driveway of 1912 Blue Spruce Drive.
At approximately 10:48 p.m., Shutiva radioed the location of the traffic stop to Cibola Regional Dispatch. He identified the pickup as bearing New Mexico license plate PJR290. Upon approaching the vehicle, Shutiva made contact with the male driver, later identified as Patricio Duran, who stated he was heading to his mother's residence to do laundry.
Shutiva requested Duran's driver's license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance. However, Duran claimed he was in the process of purchasing the pickup and did not possess any documentation for the vehicle. Additionally, Duran admitted that the vehicle lacked an interlock device.
To identify Duran, the officer inspected his New Mexico State Interlock Driver's license. A record check revealed that the vehicle's registration was suspended due to a lack of insurance. Officers then discovered that Duran had an outstanding Bench Warrant issued by the Thirteenth Judicial District Court for Non-Payment of Child Support, carrying a $12,000 cashonly bond.
Given this information, Shutiva informed Regional Dispatch to confirm the bench warrant's validity. After receiving confirmation, he placed Duran under arrest at approximately 10:55 p.m. A search incident to the arrest did not yield any contraband.
Around 11:01 p.m., Officer Shutiva transported Mr. Patricio Duran to the Grants Police Department for booking and provided him with a copy of the bench warrant. During a search of Mr. Duran's person, Officer Shutiva found a substantial amount of cash totaling $306 in bills and $1.13 in coins. These funds were placed into an evidence bag, sealed, and are to be held in Mr. Duran's property at Core Civic.
At approximately 11:55 p.m., Duran was transported to the Core Civic Detention Center in Milan, New Mexico, where he was officially booked into jail.