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Lapel videos show aftermath of off-duty BCSO party and deputy's DWI arrest
A screenshot from lapel video shows Bernalillo County deputies Lorenzo Herrera, Katherine Maestas and Jasmine Quintana inside Maestas鈥 home after a domestic dispute call.
It had all the earmarks of a wild party.
The boyfriend, Daniel Vazquez-Moreno, driving off to evade arriving officers. The girlfriend, Katherine Maestas, being uncooperative 鈥 crying and refusing to identify herself. The friend, Jasmine Quintana, doubled over on the couch and puking onto the hardwood floor.
The kitchen table littered with empty alcohol bottles and cans. And the one reasonable partygoer, Lorenzo Herrera, trying to control his drunken friends.
The four are deputies with the Bernalillo County Sheriff鈥檚 Office who were at the tail end of an all-night Super Bowl party when a domestic dispute allegedly unfolded between Maestas and Vazquez-Moreno.
鈥淭here鈥檚 literally one cooperative person,鈥 a Rio Rancho Police Department supervisor told dispatch in the middle of the ordeal, referring to Herrera.
Vazquez-Moreno was arrested on DWI and domestic violence charges after allegedly fleeing from police and weaving through traffic, speeding 70 mph in a 45 mph zone. His blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit.
He, Maestas and Quintana are all on paid administrative leave following the incident at Maestas鈥 Rio Rancho home.
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen made it clear in a news conference that Vazquez-Moreno 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 have a path for future employment鈥 at BCSO. He said Quintana and Maestas are on leave for 鈥渃onduct unbecoming of a deputy鈥 due to their interactions with Rio Rancho police.
Allen said Vazquez-Moreno made 鈥渁 stupid decision鈥 and then Maestas and Quintana 鈥渕ade more stupid decisions.鈥 He commended Herrera for being respectful and doing the right thing.
Vazquez-Moreno is the third BCSO deputy to be arrested in a drinking-related incident while off duty so far this year. His attorney could not be reached Friday.
鈥榃e鈥檙e beyond that鈥
According to multiple lapel camera videos from the incident obtained through an Inspection of Public Records Act request:
Rio Rancho police responded around 6:15 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 12, to the domestic dispute in the 2200 block of Margarita SE. It is unclear who called Rio Rancho police to the home.
Police say Daniel Vazquez-Moreno was already in his truck and drove away when an officer grabbed the door handle. Fifteen minutes later, police pulled him over as he sped down Westside Boulevard.
Lapel video shows Rio Rancho officers pull over Bernalillo County deputy Daniel Vazquez-Moreno after he fled a domestic dispute earlier this month.
Rio Rancho Police鈥淵ou looked at me in the eye and drove off, and now we are here,鈥 an officer tells Vazquez-Moreno in lapel video. 鈥淭hen 鈥 you鈥檙e going like 70 mph with your hazards on; why you going that fast?鈥
Vazquez-Moreno, slurring his words and swaying, tells police he drank while watching the Super Bowl the day before, according to the video. He says at first he didn鈥檛 argue with Maestas, then says they actually did argue.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to cause a bigger deal so I left. ... She was going for the 49ers and I was not,鈥 Vazquez-Moreno tells the officer. 鈥淲e still love each other, I think.鈥
The officer asks where Vazquez-Moreno works, and he replies, 鈥淣owhere.鈥 The second time the officer asks, Vazquez-Moreno said, 鈥淵ou know where we work.鈥
Vazquez-Moreno tells them there is a gun in his truck.
Police arrest him soon after when he fails to even attempt sobriety tests, saying he is too cold. At times, Vazquez-Moreno speaks in a British accent, calling the officer 鈥渓ad鈥 and saying he was 鈥渢aking the piss.鈥
Back at the house, officers walk in and see Quintana curled up on the couch. An officer gives her a trash can and she begins puking in it while knelt on the floor.
Lapel video shows Rio Rancho police speaking with Bernalillo County deputy Katherine Maestas after responding to a domestic dispute at her home.
Rio Rancho PoliceHerrera approaches the officers and is polite, says they are all BCSO deputies and Vazquez-Moreno鈥檚 girlfriend was upstairs. Maestas immediately tells the officer, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be involved.鈥
She denies anything happened and repeatedly refuses to give her name.
Later, when Maestas refuses to give her birth date, the officer asks, 鈥淲hy are you making this hard for me?鈥 She replies, 鈥淒o you want us to show up to your house and do this? ... You understand that this is incredibly invasive, and I don鈥檛 want to be a part of it.鈥
The officer replies, 鈥淲ell we are already part of it. You have two officers here in your home 鈥 an officer stopped your boyfriend down the road.鈥
Herrera was more forthcoming, telling police Vazquez-Moreno 鈥渟tarted saying some (expletive) up (expletive),鈥 and Maestas told him to leave.
Herrera says 鈥渉e didn鈥檛 wanna leave鈥 and pushed Maestas. He tells the officer, 鈥淥nce he put his hands on her, that鈥檚 when I stepped in.鈥
Herrera told the officer he pushed Vazquez-Moreno outside and they scuffled as Vazquez-Moreno said, 鈥淚鈥檓 the baddest (expletive) here.鈥 Herrera added, 鈥淚 told him, I was like, 鈥楧ude you just need to leave.鈥欌
Herrera tells the officer Maestas wouldn鈥檛 cooperate because she didn鈥檛 want her boyfriend to get in trouble.
鈥淲e鈥檙e beyond that,鈥 the officer tells him.
At one point, an extremely inebriated Quintana interjects that 鈥渘othing physical happened鈥 and Herrera replies 鈥淛asmine cut your (expletive), it鈥檚 not worth it.鈥
Lapel video shows Rio Rancho police walking into a home where a Super Bowl party ended in an alleged domestic dispute between off-duty Bernalillo County deputies.
Rio Rancho PoliceOutside the officer briefs his supervisor, 鈥淭hey鈥檝e all been drinking, I guess they were having a party.鈥 The supervisor appears surprised to hear that all involved are BCSO deputies.
They walk inside and Quintana is back on the couch, puking onto the hardwood floor, the trash can feet away. An officer says, 鈥漇he needs a trash can,鈥 and hands her the one she was using before.
Officers speak with Maestas again, and she is more calm and apologetic. They tell her Vazquez-Moreno is going to jail, and she asks when he may be released
鈥淚鈥檓 sorry I鈥檓 not trying to be difficult. 鈥 It sucks, having my job or not having my job, it sucks to have people show up like this,鈥 she says.
Downstairs, the officer tells Maestas that Quintana 鈥渢hrew up all over the floor, just to let you know.鈥
鈥淚鈥檒l clean it up,鈥 she says.