Santa Fe woman accused of throwing sledgehammer at officer, threatening to burn homes

SANTA FE  — A 33-year-old Santa Fe woman is facing charges this week after officers say she threatened to set fire to two homes and threw a sledgehammer at one of their own, injuring the officer's arm.

April Little is charged with attempt to commit aggravated assault upon a peace officer with a deadly weapon, attempt to commit aggravated battery upon a peace officer and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.

Officers responded to the 200 block of Villeros Street around 2:40 a.m. Thursday morning after receiving a report of a female wandering the area and making threats to set fire to her own home and the home of the 911 caller.

Police were told that Little may have been under the influence of drugs and had multiple firearms inside her home, including a handgun and shotgun, as well as a chainsaw.

Little threatened to retrieve a shotgun from her home once officers arrived on scene and threatened to shoot them, claiming they were trespassing, according to a statement of probable cause.

In response to the threats, Santa Fe Police shut down St. Francis Road between Alamo Drive and Paseo de Peralta from about 3:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. while the incident was being resolved.

Officers say Little exited her residence and threw a sledgehammer at an officer from a balcony, striking the officer in the arm but causing only a minor injury. Little then allegedly barricaded herself inside her home and refused to surrender.

Santa Fe Police eventually deployed the department's SWAT team, which forced entry into Little's home and took her into custody without further incident.

Little is scheduled to appear on her charges on Jan. 12 in Santa Fe Magistrate Court.

Deputy Police Chief Ben Valdez said the event and closure of the St. Francis Drive early Thursday morning was unrelated to another shutdown of the roadway Thursday afternoon. That separate incident pertained to a report of a man with a firearm on a rooftop, who officers had still not located as of Friday evening.

John Miller is the Albuquerque Journal’s northern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at jmiller@abqjournal.com.