BY: ABQ RAW staff
POSTED: 02/12/2024 @ 1:30PM
UPDATED 2/12/2024 @ 4:00PM (Statement from Sheriff John Allen)
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Daniel Vasquez-Moreno
Rio Rancho, NM-
Around 6:30AM, the Rio Rancho Police Department was dispatched to the 2200 block of Margarita Dr SE about a drunk male and female yelling at each other at a home.
According to a criminal complaint, Rio Rancho Police arrived to the home which had multiple people outside the residence. The responding officer states he observed a male backing out of the driveway in a Toyota Tacoma truck. Witnesses told the responding officers the drivers name was off-duty Bernalillo County Deputy Daniel Vazquez-Moreno. The on-duty Rio Rancho officer yelled at Vazquez-Moreno to stop the vehicle, however the off-duty BCSO deputy made eye contact with the officer and just sped off instead. One of the Rio Rancho Police officers drove around to find the vehicle and saw it driving east bound on Westside Blvd going over 70MPH with it’s hazards on. Vazquez-Moreno was pulled over at Westside and NM528 going into Albuquerque. The Rio Rancho officer immediately detected signs of alcohol impairment from Vazquez-Moreno. Vazquez-Moreno told Rio Rancho police that he and his girlfriend had got in a verbal argument at the home. He left the house only as to not escalate the situation.
A witness at the original residence stated the argument got physical with Vazquez-Moreno when he grabbed the girlfriend and pushed her out of the way. The witness stated he then pushed Vazquez-Moreno out of the house. The criminal complaint states the victim was also a BCSO deputy.
Vazquez-Moreno was taken to the Rio Rancho Police Department and provided two breath samples which were above .16, this is twice the legal limit in the State of New Mexico.
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen released a statement at 4PM:
In response to the recent arrest of Deputy Vasquez-Moreno and the preceding arrests of two other deputies since the beginning of the year, I wish to express my profound disappointment and frustration. It is disheartening to see members of our team fail to uphold the standards and ethics expected of them. As Sheriff, I am committed to ensuring accountability and maintaining the integrity of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. These incidents, although deeply troubling, do not reflect the dedication of the majority of our deputies who serve our community with honor. We are taking immediate steps to address these issues and prevent future occurrences. Our focus remains on serving the public with the professionalism and respect they deserve.
This is the third incident involving a BCSO deputy being arrested by law enforcement agencies in the ABQ Metro area.