Saturday, June 27, 2009

Info on Missing Man Sought

By Jeff Proctor
Journal Staff Writer
          Authorities are searching for clues in the disappearance of a South Valley horseman and business owner.
        Miguel Soto, 31, of the 2200 block of Blake SW was last seen around lunch time June 19 by an acquaintance who had paid Soto a $2,000 to $3,000 horse racing debt, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Sgt. Mark Kmatz said.
        Around 4 p.m. that day, Valencia County sheriff's deputies found Soto's red Chevy Tahoe on the mesa west of Belen, Kmatz said.
        Detectives have learned some details of Soto's life:
        • He owned an auto detailing business in the South Valley.
        • He bred and owned horses and raced them at tracks around the state — some legitimate, some not.
        • He frequented race tracks throughout the state.
        • He was not, as was reported in an El Paso newspaper, kidnapped and driven into Mexico.
        • He had no criminal history, other than a dozen traffic tickets and a conviction for being a minor in possession of alcohol in 1997.
        Detectives believe Soto spent a lot of time at the "match race" track on the Pajarito Mesa near Santa Clara Pueblo.
        New Mexico has several other long-running, two-horse "match race" tracks, including in places such as Los Lunas and Dexter.
        Julian Luna, director of the New Mexico Racing Commission, told the Journal last month that his agency has long heard rumors about illegal horse betting and even received reports of Spanish-language radio and Internet advertisements promoting the events.
        "It's of deep concern to the racing commission," Luna said at the time. "Any betting or gambling that's going on at these match races as far as we're concerned is illegal."
        The commission would consider disciplinary action against any licensed trainer, owner or jockey found to participate in the races, Luna said.
        Kmatz said detectives have heard rumors that hundreds of thousands of dollars change hands on a given day at the Pajarito track, although they have no concrete evidence.
        Still, the possibility of illegal gambling raises the level of concern over Soto's disappearance, he said.
        "Regardless of the legality of the situation, any time there is gambling involved, and when you start talking about high dollar amounts, there's always the possibility of danger," Kmatz said.
        Soto also raced his horses at legitimate tracks throughout the state, including in Ruidoso and Farmington, he said.
        Detectives found nothing suspicious in Soto's truck when they served a search warrant, Kmatz said. And everyone they've questioned provided information or alibis that have checked out.
        "But he doesn't not contact family or business and horse-racing connections," he said. "He had a very scheduled routine."
       

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