By Roger Lanse

On Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at approximately 12:22 a.m., Grant County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to 1001 Blackhawk Street in Bayard in reference to a shooting. When officers arrived they found a male later identified as Charles Jimenez, 55, of the address, lying on the ground bleeding from his left leg. According to a GCSO offense report, Jimenez told deputies he had been shot in the leg and he didn't know where the shot had come from. Deputies checked the area around Jimenez and found no trail of blood leading in any direction or around Jimenez.

As a Bayard EMS worker was wrapping Jimenez' leg the report stated, a baggie of 15 .38 Special or .357 Magnum cartridges fell out of Jimenez' ballcap, and one more as he was lifted onto a gurney.

The Bayard EMS worker advised it appeared to him that the bullet entered the outside of Jimenez' calf and angled down exiting a little lower on the inside of the calf.

A witness said she had received a call from a named female who said she had received a call from Bernie Carrillo, 47, of Arenas Valley, who told the female that Jimenez had shot himself. According to the report, a deputy advised that when he talked with the female, she stated that Carrillo asked her to go over to his house right away and say he was with her all day and evening.

Deputies then contacted Carrillo on E. Highway 180 in Arenas Valley, who, the report stated, told deputies he ran off because he was scared, and that Jimenez had taken about two steps when the gun went off. Carrillo told deputies that Jimenez gave him a gun that he pulled from his left side and told him to get out of here. A Ruger single-action revolver in .357 Magnum caliber was recovered from a closet in Carrillo's residence.

Both Carrillo and Jimenez were found to have felony records.

Carrillo was transported to GCSO for an interview while a Native Air transport was arranged for Jimenez and a landing zone was set up at the Cobre High School parking lot.

There was no further information.