Bernalillo County DA Sees Busy April: Fentanyl Seizures, Murder Convictions, and Other Sentencings Highlighted

26,000 Fentanyl Pills Seized, Man Arrested in Operation Route 66
On April 10th, agents from the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Luis Flores and seized a backpack containing 26,000 fentanyl pills. This operation was part of the collaborative effort known as Operation Route 66, which includes the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, the New Mexico State Police, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Mexico Corrections Department’s Probation and Parole Division.

Ruiz Gets 40 Years for Abusing 10-Year-Old Family Friend
During the week of April 13, Danny Ruiz, 36, received a 40-year sentence to the New Mexico Corrections Department. This followed his January conviction for crimes committed between November and December 2023, which included three counts of Criminal Sexual Penetration of a Child Under 13, Intimidation of a Witness, and Child Abuse. Ruiz was a family friend of the victim. According to court records, the victim in this case was 10-year-old.

16-Year-Old Detained After Fentanyl Bust During Operation Route 66
In a separate incident during the week of April 13, the large-scale Operation Route 66 led to the arrest and detention of a 16-year-old from Arizona found in possession of more than 25,000 fentanyl pills. Agents from the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office and BCSO Deputies apprehended the teen and Luis Flores after a car chase initiated late last week. Following the crash of their vehicle, the teen allegedly fled on foot with a backpack full of fentanyl before being caught. This week, a juvenile court judge ruled that the teen will remain in custody throughout the judicial process. He is currently held at a juvenile detention facility in Albuquerque. Operation Route 66 is a joint effort involving the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, the New Mexico State Police, BCSO, and the New Mexico Corrections Department’s Probation and Parole Division.

Reva Armijo
Armijo Nabbed in Stolen Vehicle with Large Drug Stash
In an operation on April 15th, agents from the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Reva Armijo in a stolen vehicle. A subsequent investigation led to the discovery of a significant quantity of drugs, including 545 grams of methamphetamine, 500 fentanyl pills, heroin, and crack cocaine, as well as a firearm. Armijo faces charges of Receiving or Transferring a Stolen Motor Vehicle, three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance, Distribution of a Controlled Substance, and Conspiracy. The state has requested she be held in custody pending trial. This operation was part of the ongoing collaborative effort known as Operation Route 66, involving the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, the New Mexico State Police, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Mexico Corrections Department’s Probation and Parole Division.

Jury Convicts Man Who Ran Over Mother, Attacked Father and Bystander
On April 16th, a jury found Rufino Urquidi Castillo guilty on multiple charges stemming from a violent incident in October 2023. The convictions include Aggravated Battery Against a Household Member (Deadly Weapon and two counts of Great Bodily Harm), Great Bodily Harm by Vehicle (Reckless), Aggravated Battery (Deadly Weapon), and two counts of Battery on a Peace Officer. The incident began when Castillo’s parents, concerned about his intoxication, followed him to a Valero Gas Station. There, Castillo assaulted his father, knocking him down and kicking him, before running over his mother with his truck. He then drove towards bystanders, striking an Applebee’s employee. Castillo further assaulted his unconscious mother by picking her up and dropping her on the concrete and fought with those who tried to intervene. Even after police arrived, he continued his violent behavior by kicking and spitting on an officer. Castillo now faces a potential sentence of up to 21 years in the Department of Corrections.

13-Year-Old Sentenced for Deliberate Killing of Bicyclist/Sandia Labs Scientist
On Thursday, April 17, 13-year-old Johnathan Overbay was sentenced to the maximum penalty allowed under New Mexico law for the deliberate car crash that killed bicyclist Scott Habermehl. Overbay pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and will remain in custody until he turns 21. He was 12 years old when he drove the vehicle that intentionally struck and killed Habermehl.

Investigators state that on May 29, 2024, at 4:40 AM, officers from the Albuquerque Police Department responded to a fatal pedestrian crash at Moon and Aspen in NE Albuquerque. In February, officers recovered social media posts showing three juveniles— 13-year-old Johnathan Overbay, 11-year-old Messiah Hayes, and 16-year-old William Garcia (Garcia was 15 at the time of the incident)—in what police identified as a stolen vehicle.

Police believe the 11-year-old was holding a firearm in the passenger seat, while Overbay was driving and Garcia recorded the incident. Investigators believe the group deliberately struck Scott Habermehl as he rode his bicycle to work at Sandia Labs.

Hayes and Garcia have yet to be sentences for their roles.