Man charged for alleged threats to governor
Posted at: 09/13/2012 10:36 PM
| Updated at: 09/14/2012 8:29 PM
By: Joe Vigil, KOB Eyewitness News 4
 James Sanchez |
A Valencia County man is behind bars after officials with the Governor's Office said he threatened to kill Governor Susana Martinez.
Officials said James Sanchez has made a number of threatening phone calls to the Governor's Office.
KOB4 is told Sanchez has been upset for a long time over some cows that have been roaming free on roads and on his property in Valencia County.
Sanchez recently called KOB Eyewitness News 4 saying no one, including the Governor's Office, has been helping him resolve the matter.
New Mexico Livestock Board officials say Sanchez has also threatened Livestock Board staff over the wandering cow issue.
Officials said a number of months ago Sanchez threatened to harm staffers similar to what he did to people in Vietnam.
A friend of his in Santa Fe told KOB that Sanchez is a disabled Vietnam Veteran with PTSD.
While KOB Eyewitness News 4 was talking with Sanchez about possible coverage on the cows we discovered a stunning phone message from a voice we recognized as Sanchez.
The caller said "two months ago I called the Governor and on the phone I told her she was a (expletive) whore and I was going to (expletive) her up."
The person said they also e-mailed the Governor.
"And I told her in print, I told her, that she's a (expletive) whore and I'm going to (expletive) her up. That's the story," the caller said.
Sanchez is currently in the Santa Fe County Jail facing five counts of using the telephone to intimidate.
A hearing is set for Friday to discuss whether Sanchez will be allowed to get out of jail or remain there until his trial. Department of Public Safety Secretary Gordon Eden tells KOB4 that authorities are pushing to keep Sanchez behind bars.
Eden told us based on the history of the threatening phone calls Sanchez is "capable and able to carry out this threats."
Eden said appropriate measures have been taken to make sure Martinez remains in a safe environment.
Livestock Board officials said they, along with the Governor's Office, tried to resolve the concerns Sanchez had with the cows, but said he was never satisfied.
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