Front Page News

Wildfire reported in Gila Wilderness

Reserve, NM, May 4, 2025—The Gila National Forest and Wilderness Ranger District are responding to the Iron Fire, reported about noon today in the Iron Mesa area of the Gila Wilderness. Driven by strong winds, the Iron Fire has grown quickly to 901 acres.

The safety of firefighters and the public are the highest values and priority for protection. Other values at risk include the Willow Creek community, recreational facilities, and threatened or endangered wildlife species. Iron Fire is located within the Whitewater Baldy burn scar and is burning in grass, heavy dead and down fuel, and timber. An evacuation has been ordered for Snow Lake.

[For clarification, no evacuation order has been issued for any residences. Only recreational facilities at Snow Lake (Dipping Vat Campground, Snow Lake Boat Launch, and Snow Lake Trailhead) have been evacuated.]

Frost McGahey
Investigative Reporter
Alejandro GomezFrom the Criminal Complaint filed 2/14/2025, Silver City Magistrate Court,
by Agent Justin Blacklock of the New Mexico State Police.

On the afternoon of August 5, 2024, Grant County Sheriff's Deputy Marcus Salas was working on his computer and took his phone out to text a family member. Deputy Gomez came up behind Salas and snatched the unlocked cellphone. Gomez proceeded to run through the office with Deputy Salas's phone.

Recent social media posts and articles have brought attention to an incident involving members of the Grant County Sheriff's Office. In the interest of transparency and public trust, I would like to offer clarification regarding this matter.

The case in question involves Deputy Alejandro Gomez, Sgt. Brandon Reese, Deputy Cesar Torres, and Deputy Marcus Salas. Once the Sheriff's Office became aware of the situation, we acted swiftly and responsibly. All involved personnel were immediately reassigned to different shifts while an investigation was initiated.

Due to the nature of the allegations, the internal investigation was outsourced to an external agency to ensure impartiality. At no point did I, nor any member of my executive staff, interfere with the investigative process.

By Frost McGahey
Investigative Reporter

[Editor's Note: The photo was removed as the sheriff was not the culprit and was not involved in the incident nor was it ever reported to him until recently, he told the Beat, even though it happened months ago.]

In the Affidavit for Arrest Warrant for Grant County Deputy Sheriff Alejandro Gomez, it details how he killed a baby rabbit. The complaint was filed by another Sheriff’s deputy, Marcus Salas, who did it because northing was being done by the Sheriff’s Department.

On August 16, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. Deputy Salas decided to work overtime in the Hachita area. He learned that Deputy Gomez, Corporal Torres and Sergeant Brandon Reese were also going to work overtime.

They drove to the area and were on a 2-track dirt road in three different patrol vehicles. Deputy Salas was leading in his patrol vehicle; Reese and Torres were in a 2-man unit, and Gomez was in his patrol vehicle in the rear.

By Roger Lanse

On Sunday, Apr. 20, 2025, at about 7 p.m. a call reporting a deceased female on 25 Ocotillo Drive in Mimbres, was received by the Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority. According to a Grant County Sheriff's Office incident report, when deputies arrived at the address, they discovered the female, Shannon Reve Mayfield, 70, of the address, sitting in the front seat of a 1985 Toyota pickup with the driver's side door opened. Blood was observed on her person only on her lower left leg. No blood was found on either hand. An estimated three-foot diameter pool of blood was seen on the ground by the open pickup door.

Other pools of blood were discovered in a nearby shed and trails of blood led from the shed to the pickup.

Witnesses stated the deceased seemed okay 2-3 hours earlier and was talking about rockhounding later in the day. Witnesses said the deceased also mentioned pain in her leg and complained of an open sore or wound on her leg.

By Lynn Janes

The town of Hurley had a regular meeting April 15, 2025. Mayor Pro Tem Reynaldo Maynes, Pete Ordonez and Robert Candelaria attended. Mayor Ed Stevens and Aron Phillips didn't attend.

Public comment

Archi Padilla came to address a concern. She asked why out of $5 million of legislative monies for Grant County did Hurley only receive $150,000. Padilla pointed out that Santa Clara had received considerably more. She had contacted Ordonez, and he said it had been because they had not spent the funding, they had received the previous year. She thought that would be equally as disappointing.

Wednesday, April 29, 2025 I Sixth Judicial District Attorney Norman R. Wheeler announced today that Evan Miles Ledon was held without bond in a Pre-Trial Detention hearing for charges of Larceny and Tampering with Evidence. Sixth Judicial District Trial Attorney David D. Vandenberg was the prosecutor at the hearing in the Luna County District Courthouse, Deming, New Mexico. Ledon will be held until trial.

On November 15, 2024, Deming Police were dispatched to a referenced Larceny in progress. Witnesses were driving on Zinc Street when they noticed a male stealing copper wiring from an electrical service hatch on the sidewalk on Cedar Street. The witness recorded on his cell phone the male pulling wire from the electrical service hatch . He showed the video to the responding officers.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office is alerting residents to a significant rise in scam-related phone calls targeting members of our community. Multiple reports have been received involving callers who request personal information, money, gift cards, or even demand ransom payments while falsely claiming to be holding a family member captive.

These scammers use fear and urgency to pressure victims into complying. If you receive a call of this nature, do not panic and do not send money or provide information. First, attempt to verify the safety of the family member directly, and contact your local law enforcement agency immediately.

The Sheriff's Office emphasizes: