Saturday, June 7, 2008

Four people held in homicide case

Joe Garrett died of his stab wounds at the hospital

Audry Olmsted El Defensor Chieftain Managing Editor

Four people were being questioned late Friday afternoon in relation to the early morning stabbing death of a Crownpoint man.

Socorro Police Capt. Mike Winders said he could not release the names at this time, but described the suspects as twin 18-year-old men, their 15-year-old brother and their 50-year-old mother.

As of late Friday afternoon, no charges had been filed against the four people who were being questioned in the death of Joe Garrett, 22, at Clarke Field. Winders said the three brothers will face an open count of murder and battery charges, and the mother is facing a charge of tampering with evidence for allegedly dumping the bloody clothing belonging to her three sons after the stabbing.

Winders said they are working on obtaining a warrant to search the four people in custody for trace evidence.

Officers have also served three warrants in Socorro, two in Polvadera and one in Magdalena looking for evidence.

Winders said he did not expect any more arrests to be made in connection with the stabbing.

It is believed that Garrett lived in Socorro, but his last known address is in Crownpoint.

Winders said that Garrett and his girlfriend, age and name unknown, had an argument Thursday afternoon at the Loma Vista Apartments on El Camino Real, where police were called to intervene. He said the argument did not warrant an arrest and the two were separated.

It was around midnight when Garrett went to the skate park at Clarke Field.

Winders said it was shortly thereafter that the three brothers went to the park, along with other people. One of the 18-year-old twins is dating the twin sister of Garrett's girlfriend.

"A fight ensued and as they fought, he (Garrett) was mortally wounded," Winders said.

During the fight, Garrett was stabbed in the back four times.

The fight started in the south parking lot and then moved toward the playground, where Garrett collapsed.

Socorro Police Chief Lawrence Romero said a woman jogging in the area at 6:18 a.m. found Garrett at the playground. He was barely breathing at the time.

Romero said the man was taken to Socorro General Hospital where he died shortly after arriving. He never regained consciousness.

Winders said the brothers' bloody clothing was found at the Polvadera dump. Police are still working to recover the knife believed to have been used in the stabbing.

Garrett's family has been notified.

aolmsted@dchieftain.com

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