a simple stop to get gas turned into a
trooper's worst
nightmare on February 11th
2022 a trooper with the New Mexico State
Police Stopped to refuel at a gas
station located in Edgewood New Mexico
just east of Albuquerque he barely had
time to park the car before he was met
by a store clerk concerned about one of
the patrons and he had no idea about the
chaos that would quickly
unfold and then she stayed in the
bathroom for a long per time and I
Wasing in the bathroom we found a piece
of okay and I I'm pretty sure she was
something in there she's in the Cadillac
yeah okay is she in the Cadillac now
yeah is there anybody else with her uh
there's a man in the a drag thank
you you have an East Mountain
unit going to be out with a gray
Cadillac the tenant over here at the gas
station advised they're smoking drugs in
the bathroom sitting in the car can you
also contact Edgewood and have them roll
me a
[Music]
unit from
[Music]
I one Tom's attempting to flee R my
car
10 send him another unit see if there's
any e unit there to help him there
55 can you head out
[Music]
to I can H that
[Music]
way 51 he is
he is out by Pizza Barn he is headed
eastbound on their Frontage Road
significant damage to my vehicle also be
advised I don't have a siren so I'm
going to be lights
only it's going to be a silver Cadillac
female passenger male driver dark tinted
windows he is coming out eastbound
triple 3
now do you have aircraft that would be
beneficial
just passed the edge of the unit he's
passing Tractor
Supply 51 on this in traffic is light
eastbound about 80
mph and no obstructions of
R initial call was the drug Us in
the bathroom he rammed my vehicle
immediately contact
[Music]
attempting wrong side of the
roadway
back
evil using Google Earth we can estimate
that the suspect is driving 660 ft in
4.375 seconds for a speed of 103
mph eastbound triple 3 headed for
Mountain
Valley eastbound triple 3 Mountain
Valley 51 just to confirm your TR you
are going east bound apologies I am
westbound I am westbound now sorry about
that coming up on Mountain
he is driving pretty carefully he is
above the speed about 70 to 80 M an hour
but he is driving pretty
carefully 10 7 80 driving
carefully also be advised I've got my
siren back
using Google Earth we can estimate that
the suspect is driving 775 ft in 5 and2
seconds for a speed of 96
mph speed is 100 mph traffic is still
maneuvering St Hill vehicle is
down vehicle down hill
[Music]
I'm
down come on hit leaving subjects are
fleeing West female and a male send me a
55
put me on it hit by what gun fire
49 we got gunfire on the overpass to
City
hill1 you have
weapon negative but I'm hit 37
55 46
4
46 High 46
to1 20 um
from can't get
there1 sycom let's try to make contact
with 501 make sure his status we get
people on scene also if you haven't done
so notify the captain please
51 are
you 501 I think I'm okay I'm bleeding
shot through the shoulder possibly the
chest subjects are fleeing
westbound a little bit of trouble
breathing
1091 also I notified an HSI Medic in
that
area 501 I'm just going to sit tight I'm
not try to pursue the trooper doesn't
know it yet but he's also been shot in
the neck
Jesus just confirming last
20 that's affirmative sadio Hill
overover pass over I40 it's right next
to the sad Hill trck stop
I'm sure you have but also push it out
to APD EAS command as
well 10
we back hit you man yeah okay cool all
right hold
on hold on sit down hold
my what do
you beding a lot little it's beding
give me a shot shot give me a
medkit where's it it's red bag in the
car open
up all up yeah all right man you get
right in the neck right here give me
some pressure on it okay all
[Applause]
right this
side this TR in he's not beding out
already how me get this vest off and
just
understand Vel like this on the other
side pull very careful CU it boy Lincoln
913
tring from uh
a right here in the
M give me that radio can I help anybody
I saw just watch traffic traffic please
stop them from coming through make them
go that way
radio 501 I've got some help
here no he's right here in his neck man
going bullet holes right
he's got a bullet hole right here
guys I don't know if it came out the
back but it feels like it hit my scapula
brother yeah it's right here all right
who's got trauma sh shoes Cutters it was
like it hit my scapula in the back and
that
hurts all right give me a give me a
gauze and also a Vaseline gauze too
gauze bandage guy out here somewhere
he's right up that way guys still there
a female and a male I don't know much
any difficulty breathing right
now what's your name Jeremy Jeremy you
having any problems breathing a little
bit it's just that scapula really hurts
guys hurts in the back yeah let's get
the gurny the scapula in the back I just
want to make sure this guy ain't
shooting still
yeah here okay I'm going to get some
more units over here get out through
there to go down CH chest pain on this
side
guys I can't tell you if the difficulty
breathing is just stress or or
anything thank you guys for coming so
[Music]
fast hey Serge I'm not getting a radio
we need more units over here now State
Police just got shot suspects are on the
loose they somewhere between sadal heill
and Ed Jordan give me that radio guys
just real quick and we'll tell them what
they need to know it's right there
501 the vehicle is here with me the
subjects are
on they are eastbound from this location
and I'm going to go with the ambulance
now we need to start searching we need
to start searching between sad Hill and
edroid right
now it's a male and female they just
crashed out with State
[Applause]
Police there're somewhere between sto
Hill and Ed it looks like they're
walking back towards Edgewood right now
right they were coming they were coming
from Edgewood yeah he chased it from
Edgewood on foot yes they are on fo
what's up Dylan hey how's it going man
fudge man yeah not the best morning if
it hadn't hit the scapula yeah okay as
upset here the trooper a former EMT
identified the region that he was hit as
his scapula also called the shoulder
blade while not a vital organ the
scapula is surrounded by blood vessels
and nerves also the hole in his chest
caused by the bullet could allow air
into his chest cavity collapsing his
lungs it's just the one shot right I
don't know buddy okay you want to take
stuff off and find out I'm happy to rock
and roll with you okay see exit no
there's no exit wound he's got his wound
right here okay no difficulty breathing
a little bit of difficulty I couldn't
tell you it's stress or Worse all right
problem thank you guys for coming yeah
of
course my wife is going to be pissed
they always get mad at us watch did you
able to get some shots off on this
oh hope so the video will be
interesting good I tell you what Ain
going to get away with it I'm grateful
for some training man
yeah all we have is male and female
females in great leggings they were
headed back back towards Edwood from s
Hill running Tre they went inside the
fence and kind of ducked into the Tre I
mean I witnessed the whole thing you
know whatever that yeah you're a witness
you if I can have you just stand by okay
State Police will be here with you uh
are you that's me right there that's you
okay he flew I mean they flew by us dude
they were they're running for their life
man they're they're hiding
up while the Trooper was transported to
the hospital officers from Edgewood
police department and other assisting
agencies began searching the area for
any trace of the
suspects Police Department anybody
inside make yourself
Stone Police Department anybody inside
make yourself no
now let's
start check
it looks
empty I just can't check this corner
here
Bondo
Bondo coming
in coming
through um when when the the subjects
ran did you see any type of clothing any
colors then you can remember was he
holding a weapon I know it's hard to
remember all this stuff but I I was so
focused I'm not even lying bro I saw
that they hit him and I was focused on
him this is like 1 60 ft from what was
going
[Music]
down okay but you didn't see anything
I'm positive it was two people exited
that vehicle but you couldn't see what
they looked like nope I took one one
positive male the other one all I saw
off of that was something red getting
thrown in the air and someone stumbling
through the snow okay do you think you
could identify the male suspect from a
photo light
out not to stand up in a court of law
okay so it' be like uh like on a scale 1
to 10 I'm going to fire possible
three okay I could see them I could see
both of them but I did recall he had his
pistol out he was carrying his pistol
with him she I did not recall her
carrying a pistol I didn't see anything
in her hand but he definitely had one it
was you know a good siiz handgun any
like descriptions as far as their height
weight where to look thin average I mean
you know just from the distance and and
my I was asked that earlier and I'm
still thinking you know he probably
wasn't exceptionally tall or small was
short so I'm guessing he may have been
5'10 uh she probably a little bit
shorter well I know she was shorter and
then they just kind of ducked down into
the trees I don't know went directly
north or they could have kept going east
you know just in the tree line okay he
was kind of waiting on her she was uh
you know following behind him cuz she
got out second and she kind of he kind
of waited on her to catch up a little
bit you know the whole time with his gun
out you know he had it in his hand okay
so he's unless he ditched it somewhere
he's got it with him with only a rough
description of the suspect's appearance
and where abouts officers then
backtracked to the gas station to
examine their video footage and caught
their first big break in the case this
is right at the
time Mom emergency I'm I'm I'm okay
don't completely freak out but you need
to please call me said Mom call me do
you have a how does she how does your
daughter look you
have I I I want to relate some
information cuz I think she knows who it
was
okay cuz I think they called her to say
hey I need help she told my other
daughter that she needed a homie they
got in a high speed chase and they
needed following this lead gave
investigators the name of the woman who
called the manager's daughter asking for
a pickup Alana Martinez meanwhile
investigators tracked the registration
of the vehicle to a married couple in
Albuquerque who turned out had nothing
to do with the shooting however
according to the Albuquerque Journal a
photo of Alana surfaced on Facebook that
evening which prompted a tip from the
public the tip stated that Alana and her
boyfriend were hiding out in a home in
Macintosh a small farming community and
only a 30-minute Drive Southeast of
where the shooting took place the next
day on February 12th
2022 officers from multiple state and
local police agencies surrounded the
property and watch for any signs of the
fugitives down Road 14 crossing a road a
road
[Music]
[Music]
according to the Albuquerque Journal two
of the suspects Associates seen leaving
the residents were arrested one had a
stolen handgun and the other fled to
Albuquerque in a stolen Ford F250 where
he crashed into two vehicles he was
arrested with a gun and methamphetamine
in his possession Alana was taken into
custody as well as her boyfriend hey bro
what's your name Caleb Dustin huh Caleb
Dustin look at me real quick bro I'm
just cuz you got some blood and all that
I'm just going to kind of make sure I uh
documented okay look at me real quick oh
all right
bro face burning or you cold I'm cold
okay just hang tight right bro let okay
good right look at me Caleb Dustin ellig
also known by his Alias creeper has an
extensive case history beginning in 2016
where he pled no contest to interference
with Communications in exchange for
dropping one count of assault of a
household member in 2020 Caleb was
sentenced to a year in Bernal Leo County
and 5 years of probation after pleading
guilty to shooting from a stolen SUV as
he fled from police officers according
to his probation officer ellig had been
on probation for 9 months and had
already absconded three times and
violated multiple conditions of his
supervision at the time of the shooting
CB had been on the run for 9 months
after he cut his ankle monitor and
absconded a bench warrant was issued but
Caleb was never found and brought in for
questioning until now we we appreciate
you know you uh talking to us but before
I do I have some some rights I want to
want you to know you have rights and
want you to be aware okay so you have
the right to remain silent uh anything
you say can be used against you in a
court of law do you understand what I
have told you having these rights in
mind you want to talk to us now
yeah all right obviously uh you know you
know why why we here there's an incident
that occurred
uh yesterday actually uh I'll tell you
guys I'll explaining to you guys from
from from the very beginning okay I'll
be 100% honest yes sir okay yes sir my
girlfriend me me and her we were kind of
just I mean arguing or whatever she went
in the gas station they said she was
there doing drugs she would know she was
crying in the bathroom whatever your
girlfriend just to
clarify we're sitting in the parking lot
and we're doing our scratches and stuff
we yeah we're there for like 45 minutes
whatever mean we didn't know nobody call
the cops I'm saying but that that
officer came up violent violent right
away
dude he start banging on driv the door
handle get the out of the car he get the
out of the
car hey hey say I backed up I took off
you me freaked me out and like whoa I'm
on the run you mean just freaked me out
though you know what I'm saying so I
fled I backed up into his car I fled he
chased me just like mean start trying to
Ram me hit me trying to make me
wreck me mean he is driving pretty
carefully he is above and so finally I I
I took a right I turn he pushed me up
against the bridge you know how we are
you I mean I'm not trying to go to jail
you know what I'm saying we're not
trying to you what I'm saying but like
at the same time I'm not H
nobody no but then like he just off was
violent dude you me like he was was I do
was violent
me right then I I I me I told my CH to
sit back and I just started shooting I
mean I didn't even aim I didn't even aim
I
just
mean I was trying to get maybe hit the
floor so I can run and get over me get
away I'm saying I just I don't know I I
don't know dude I wasn't trying to hurt
the dude you know I know he was trying
to hurt H us too and where did you get
this gun at I bought off a friend line I
I mean I W seen too much on that one you
know I mean but I got in the sheets you
know okay and where is that gun now I
don't know where it went I I gave it to
somebody they were going to get rid of
it and I don't know where it went from
there can you tell us who's that
somebody I can't do that I mean cuz that
gets me in trouble you know like where
were you at when you hand over that gun
where they got me this morning okay at
that at that residence yeah okay so
where did did you look at the officer uh
at any point no uhuh open my door there
was the guard rail and then there was
the just little Hill and I ran into the
field and I went down I went down this
other little Hill onto the freeway you I
mean I just as soon as it was done I
just I open my door and I went that way
I mean I didn't even look try to look
wasn't I was mean
I just I remember running away knowing I
made a mistake you know so how how did
that happen or what what were you trying
to do at that point when when you got uh
to the freeway first I was trying to
flag people down to get a ride you know
and I did and then I
just I I honestly I'm not I hid
somewhere you know I I'm not going to
grab myself out see but I hid somewhere
and waited out so I can move around you
know so so you hit somewhere around that
same area yeah where the incident
happened and how did you get from from
there there to where you were
arrested well later on I was walking and
another homeboy was walking I and I used
his phone I called somebody knew you
know okay so somebody picked you up yeah
and they took you where the residence
where I got picked up so from there you
went directly to
the and uh and who who was that I mean
obviously with the investigation the
name is probably going to come up at
some point I just want to see if you
know if you could help us out with who
who was that person that took you to
that Resident I I can't say that so I
I'll just talk a little bit about
um about your uh your girlfriend so you
said she was um in in in the passenger
seat when all this thing happened yeah
she telling me to stop may just stop
baby stop stop stop she's she she's an
inant in all the way dude this girl
she's she's so
she's she's in s so when the cops came
over this morning did you comply and
come out and give up or what happened I
was sleeping when they came over me
finally when I had realized that there
was the cop they
were they had already threw the I heard
a bus out the windows and thre those
things in there and man I couldn't
breathe house was was bad gas in there
and stuff maybe okay gas had was bad and
then who all was in there just you just
me and and I mean I I had to feel you
mean I couldn't see I couldn't breathe I
almost passed out but I boom I found the
back door and opened the back door and I
hit the floor boom I came out right away
I was like all right what's mean but you
knew it was the cops yeah yeah I
mean you don't think she was using drugs
in that bathroom no I know she wasn't
cuz I had all the drugs you mean okay
what what do you use blues or what yeah
Blues what about her same yeah yeah how
bad of a habit you guys got bad bad I'm
I mean I I know you wanted to you know
maybe protect these people but we we did
talk to some people and and and we found
out who give you the ride uh and I mean
we found out it was uh Leila Lea and and
Danny Lea is Caleb's Aunt who owns the
property where Caleb was arrested so we
found that out from from different
information we had and and I know you
told me like if we were able to find
that out you might be able to confirm
that with uh for
us no I'm telling now that I'm telling
you right now is it wasn't the and I
mean something that that we really uh
need especially so we're not digging up
in you know anybody's business is that
gun and I know you don't want to give
anybody away all we need is that gun
like we don't want to go out and you
know like have to look uh into that gun
and then we find out some other stuff
you know people that you give that gun
to her doing now that we we don't care
about that we just want to get you know
that gun for obviously for this invation
I don't I don't know where it's at going
go okay so that's I mean that's uh
because I mean same thing that we have
information that that Lea has the gun
and I mean we know she's maybe involved
in some stuff we don't want to don't
care about that we just care about the
gun and we don't want to get her mixed
up and you know yeah know she don't have
a
gun and uh I'm going say I going to say
a has the gun not it's not her boyfriend
I say a had the gun R has nothing to do
with it
okay so you know we're going to have to
go out there and you know try to you
know like investigate different people
that might have it and we don't want to
mess those guy if they have nothing to
do with it that's why I mean I want to
give you this opportunity you know way
it is so we don't mix up other people
that's what it is cuz I know you really
probably like uh your your your auntie
right you want to protect her so you
know who you give it so we don't have to
mess with with that the gun's in that
house somewhere well that was just that
okay
I don't remember where I I I remember
waking up I remember waking
up and it was it wasn't right it wasn't
right next to me any where I put mean it
was was was gone but it's in it's in the
house somewhere so where where did you
last saw it at I was in the living room
sleep on the recliner the living
room for her part Alana Martinez pled
guilty to aiding and harboring a
fugitive she was sentenced to 6 months
probation Caleb however faced counts of
assault on a peace officer aggravated
battery upon a peace officer tampering
with evidence aggravated fleeing an
officer criminal damage to property and
possession of a firearm by a felon
however the prosecution asked for all
charges to be dismissed once the FED
stepped in to prosecute Caleb for being
a felon in possession of a firearm Caleb
plad guilty and received a 9-year
Federal sentence plus 3 years of
supervised
release on December 23rd
2024 Christmas came early for Caleb when
New Mexico reopened the cases against
him the case is currently in pre-trial
and Caleb faces all of the original
charges that were dropped if found
guilty Caleb will serve additional time
with the New Mexico Department of
Corrections after he completes his
Federal sentence Trooper vaugh underwent
surgery to remove the bullet from his
back and was released from the hospital
the day of Caleb's arrest he has since
made a full recovery now of course every
day police officers step into a world
where uncertainty is the norm and
staying alert isn't just essential it
can truly save your life and for me
always remembering what can happen in a
split second is what kept me sharp and
on point while doing my job now I have
been in situations where I thought I
might not make it home and when you're
faced with your own mortality it truly
puts everything in perspective and
staying calm while chaos is erupting
around you is Kate however that is
easier said than done now today as we
tune into the body cam of a State
Trooper out of New Mexico he does stop
to get gas a simple everyday thing that
officers do but while there he's met by
a store clerk who's concerned about a
woman who was inside the store now City
officers get gas at their headquarters
or at the repair Depot but when you're
patrolling these large geographical
areas like state troopers they often
have to fuel up in these uncontrolled
environments which are much more
dangerous after the trooper gets all the
pertinent information from the clerk he
does move in to investigate but do keep
in mind that although he's called for
backup he is alone but he has no choice
but to act and see what the story is of
the occupants of this car but as the
officer approaches the suspect Rams his
car numerous times and makes his Escape
now this is where my heart dropped guys
because after a successful pit maneuver
from the trooper the trooper exits his
car and is almost immediately shot at by
the suspect now the trooper's training
does kick in at this point and he
returns fire and he's in fight and
survival mode at this point because the
trooper then gets shot but we notice
that he changes positions and that's of
course because when you're in a gunfight
you never want to stay stationary
letting the opposition know that you're
an easy target but hats off to this
Trooper he not only stayed in the fight
counting his shots and even after being
shot in the neck he also remembered his
training which is difficult to do and
your life is possibly flashing in front
of your eyes but those civilians helping
this Trooper actually brought me to
tears because the calm demeanor of these
men really helps in a situation like
this now when the trooper stated that
his wife would be pissed that's because
no officer wants to inform their wife
husband or family member that they've
been shot in the line of duty cuz
imagine hearing that over the phone from
anyone your mind immediately goes to the
worst case scenario and personally being
that me and my wife were both in law
enforcement I totally understand what
the trooper was talking about now
thankfully because of great
investigative work and a tip police
located the suspects and took them into
custody now lastly gu the case that we
just saw was specifically mentioned in
the 2022 55th New Mexico legislative
session as a broader Public Safety
package which is now called House Bill 8
and it focuses on the state of New
Mexico's approach to mental health and
criminal justice and the package of six
bills does aim to give options to
prosecutors to involuntarily commit
people to a psychiatric facility
increasing sentencing for trafficking
Fentanyl and allow criminals to get
greater sentences for stealing motor
vehicles and that's just a name of few
so hopefully real change can happen soon
that's all I have guys remember to be
safe and I'll see you on the next one