Officer Sanchez’s report
On 1/17/2024, I New Mexico State Police Officer Kim Sanchez was on duty wearing my full class A uniform displaying my badge of office (511), in my fully marked NMSP patrol unit fully equipped with emergency lights and sirens.
At approximately 1115am hours the New Mexico State Police Dispatch received an anonymous call regarding a suspicious vehicle, dispatch advised the reporting party stated a white dodge ram with Texas registration plates with a the driver being described as a white male with glasses with a gun on his hip. The reporting party also stated they observed the truck briefly pull over at E 2nd St / White Mill and observed the pickup to be hauling big black trash bags. The reporting party stated inside the trash bags there was a lot of weed that fell out of the bag. The Reporting Party stated the marijuana were in wrapped vacuum seals. Dispatch advised the reporting party was still following the pickup and advised a updated location at 701 W 2nd at the Dairy Queen. At this time, I was parked near the New Mexico State police Office in Roswell, NM when I observed a white in color dodge ram bearing TX registration TNN0693, I observed the driver to be a Caucasian male with glasses, I observed a large Pitbull to be in the passenger seat. I observed the pickup to heading westbound on w 2nd St.
The pickup and the male matched the description the reporting party had described, at this time I got behind the dodge ram, the pickup continued heading westbound on w 2nd St, shortly after getting behind the pickup, the pickup did a U-turn at w 2nd St/ Avenue A St. At this time, I activated my emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop on the pickup. I made contact with the driver of the pickup who was identified as Mr. Don Wester, I advised Mr. Wester I was New Mexico State Police Officer Sanchez and advised Wester of my reason of contact being a reporting party calling in a suspicious vehicle and male that matched his vehicle and his description. I asked Mr. Wester if he knew anything about him picking up a package/ trash bag on the side of the road, Mr. Wester stated, he stopped on the side of the road about five miles out of Roswell to let his dog use the bathroom. Wester stated he was living in Oklahoma and had since moved to Texas, Wester stated he was coming to Roswell to visit to see the aliens, just him and his dog. I asked Wester if he had any trash bags in the back of his truck, Wester stated, “No.” I then asked Wester if he would mind if I took a look in the back of his vehicle, Wester stated, “Yeah, I’m not going to let anyone search my vehicle right now”. Wester stated, “He told me he doesn’t have anything in the back of his vehicle.” At this time, I advised Wester was advised to stand by until further.
NMSP Ofc Wilson and Ofc Connely arrived at the traffic stop, I advised Ofc Wilson of Wester refusing consent to look inside his pickup, Ofc Wilson made contact with Wester and advised Wester to step out of the pickup. Wester refused to comply with Ofc Wilson’s order to exit the vehicle, at this time, Ofc Connely retrieved his baton, warnings were given to Wester if he did not comply with Ofc Wilson’s orders to exit the pickup, the pickup’s window will be broken. Wester finally exited the vehicle and was placed in handcuffs, Ofc Wilson advised Wester he was under arrest at this time for resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. Ofc Connely placed Wester in his fully marked patrol unit. Animal Control and K9 arrived on scene. Animal Control secured the dog without incident. Ofc Flott (Roswell Police Department) and his K9 Auda, arrived and conducted an open- air sniff of the vehicle. Ofc Flott advised that his K9 alerted the rear driver and rear passenger side of the vehicle. Because of this alert, we called for a tow truck to come and pick the vehicle up, take it to the office and get a search warrant for the vehicle. Mr. Wester’s pickup was then towed by Rudy’s Towing to the New Mexico State Police District Office located in Roswell, NM to be secured pending a search warrant. I escorted the Tow Truck to the NMSP office. After the booking process was complete, I then transported Wester to the Chaves County Detention Center for Incarceration.
Items seized and secured as evidence were as follows:
90.62lbs of green leafy substance (Marijuana)
34.8g of white powder substance (Cocaine)
97.6g of green leafy substance in a glass jar (Marijuana)
.38 Special Smith & Wesson Revolver
Federal brand .38 special cartridges, 5 in quantity
Glass pipe with burned substance (Methamphetamine)
$51,516 in paper US Currency in the following bank notes:
27 $100 bills
60 $50 bills
2,220 $20 bills
114 $10 bills
73 $5 bills
10 $1 bills
Black iPhone
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