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Saturday, November 07, 2009
Jail Fails To Divulge Beating
By Rozanna M. Martinez
Journal Staff Writer
The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department didn't find out about an Oct. 12 jail fight in which an inmate suffered a broken jaw and crushed bones near his eye and sinus areas until the alleged victim's attorney contacted the department on Tuesday, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
The department then checked all October rescue calls from the Metropolitan Detention Center requiring an ambulance and found a call for an unconscious but breathing inmate, later identified as Andrew Wright.
Wright, who has since been released to his sister, suffered "very serious" injuries and was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital, according to the affidavit. Wright was later taken to the Socorro County Detention Center.
Wright has undergone reconstructive surgery, according to the warrant.
Deputy Chief David Linthicum said he didn't know why the sheriff's department wasn't notified.
"I hope they would contact us about incidents involving aggravated battery with great bodily harm so we could investigate," he said.
The incident is being investigated, county officials said in an e-mailed statement to the Journal.
"If it is determined that there was any misconduct by county employees, stern and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken," county officials said in the statement.
Sheriff's detectives contacted Wright's sister on Tuesday. She told them her brother had previously been in a fight at MDC with a few gang members who tried to take his commissary food items, according to the affidavit.
Wright filed an internal report about the incident and was given a new cellmate, Paul Delburt Ruiz.
Ruiz, 18, allegedly pummeled Wright on Oct. 12 over filing the report and not giving up his food.
Wright's sister was told about the alleged beating several days later, according to the affidavit. The jail issued a one-page incident report to Wright's family on the attack.
A corrections officer wrote in the report that he heard an inmate yell "That's enough!" through his cell door and found Ruiz standing over Wright, who was lying on the floor bleeding from his head and face, according to the affidavit.
Ruiz has since been released from MDC.
A $100,000 cash-only warrant was issued Thursday for his arrest on a charge of aggravated battery with great bodily harm in connection with the incident involving Wright.
Sheriff's department investigators are looking for Ruiz, Linthicum said.
This isn't the first time MDC officials have failed to notify the sheriff's department about an alleged attack.
Inmate Avery Hadley was severely beaten March 12, but sheriff's detectives said they weren't aware of the beating until a high-ranking county official sent an e-mail to the sheriff's department, alerting them of the incident.
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