Southwest
New Mexico police chief claims he had constitutional right to leave his body cam off after crash: report
A police chief in New Mexico told investigators he intentionally left his body camera off after he crashed into another driver earlier this year, citing his Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination, according to a new internal investigation.
“It blew my mind because it’s so preposterous,” lawyer and former Albuquerque police officer Tom Grover told KOAT last Friday.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina ran a red light on Feb. 17, 2024, after someone fired a shot near his pickup truck. He hit and seriously injured another driver, but did not turn on his body camera, violating department policy, according to an internal investigation. (City of Albuquerque)
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Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina and his wife were in an unmarked police pickup truck the morning of Feb. 17, heading to a press conference. Medina had stopped at a red light when he said two people started fighting on the sidewalk next to his truck, according to the report. Then one of the individuals pulled out a gun and fired a shot, Medina said after the incident.
Surveillance video shows Medina accelerating across the busy intersection, through the red light. His pickup darted between two cars and then T-boned a Mustang. The other driver was hospitalized with severe injuries, including eight broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a broken shoulder blade, a collapsed lung and multiple cuts, KOAT reported in March.
Medina powered his body camera on “to prove he had it with him,” the recently-released Internal Affairs report notes. But he told investigators he “intentionally and purposefully did not record the interaction of the crash because he was invoking his 5th Amendment right not to self-incriminate.”
Grover compared that admission to a “nuclear bomb.”
“The notion that he has a Fifth Amendment right would suggest that he’s in custody,” Grover told KOAT. “He’s not in custody. He’s at work.”
An excerpt from the Internal Affairs investigation into Medina’s Feb. 17, 2024, crash. (Albuquerque Police Department IA Professional Standards)
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Albuquerque Police Department rules do not allow officers to avoid recording “mandatory recording incidents based on the fact that the evidence captured on that video may be used in a subsequent criminal investigation,” the investigation notes.
Medina accepted and signed two letters of reprimand in July — one for unsafe driving in a department-issued vehicle and one for failing to record the incident.
KOAT legal analyst John Day told the outlet Medina’s actions may violate state law.
New Mexico statute requires activation of a body-worn camera “whenever a peace officer is responding to a call for service or at the initiation of any other law enforcement or investigative encounter between a peace officer and a member of the public.”
It also prohibits “deactivation of a body-worn camera until the conclusion of a law enforcement or investigative encounter.”
The Albuquerque Police Department did not respond to a request for comment on the Internal Affairs report Monday.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Pasadena motorist knocked unconscious in unprovoked assault after other driver flashes high beams at him
A motorist was rendered unconscious after what authorities are calling an unprovoked attack that occurred after another driver flashed their high beams at him, authorities say.
According to the Pasadena Police Department, the victim, a 63-year-old man, was driving northbound on Raymond Avenue near Washington Boulevard when a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction flashed him around 1 a.m. Saturday.
“The victim reported that he was driving northbound on Raymond Avenue from Washington Boulevard when he observed a vehicle traveling southbound flashing its high beams at him,” a Pasadena Police Department spokesperson confirmed to KTLA. “The victim stated he stopped his vehicle and exited. He was then assaulted by an unknown suspect. The assault was unprovoked.”
The attack left the man unconscious and with a three-inch deep laceration to his head, police added. Upon regaining consciousness, the man transported himself to Huntington Hospital, and it was around 1:20 a.m. when police responded there to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon and began their investigation.
Upon arriving at the hospital, the victim told police that, due to his injuries, he was not able to provide a description of a suspect, vehicle or the weapon used, nor was he able to tell police the exact location where the assault occurred, although it was confirmed to be somewhere near Raymond Avenue and Washington Boulevard. La Pintoresca Park is located near that intersection.
No further details were immediately available.
Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to contact the Pasadena Police Department right away.
Sofia Pop Perez contributed to this report.
Los Angeles, Ca
Woman killed by driver while crossing PCH in Long Beach
A woman was struck and killed by a driver while crossing the street on Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach.
On June 3, the female pedestrian was using the crosswalk at Pacific Coast Highway and Pacific Avenue around 4:50 a.m.
She had walked against a red light and was hit by a 19-year-old driver in a Chevy sedan, Long Beach police said.
Despite lifesaving efforts, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.
“At this time, impaired driving, distracted driving and excessive speed are not believed to be a factor in this collision,” police said.
The woman’s name is being withheld pending identification by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information on the incident is asked to call Detective Joseph Johnson at 562-570-7355.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Los Angeles, Ca
Man wanted for deadly Los Angeles road rage shooting extradited from Mexico
A man wanted for a deadly road rage shooting in Los Angeles was arrested and extradited from Mexico after fleeing the U.S. in 2024.
The suspect was identified as Christian Rojas, 21, of Bellflower, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities had been searching for him since the deadly incident on October 10, 2024.
Rojas and a second suspect, Joshua Rojas Sr., 47, of Downey, were driving on the northbound 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights around 4 p.m. when they became involved in an altercation with another driver that escalated into a shooting.
Video of the tense confrontation showed the suspects, who were driving a Dodge Durango SUV, opening fire on two men in a Cadillac sedan.
The shooting forced the victim to pull over abruptly. That’s when a suspect ran up to the Cadillac, opened the passenger-side door and fired several shots at close range.
In a panic, the Cadillac driver tried to escape by making a sudden U-turn and driving against oncoming traffic. He eventually crashed head-on into several vehicles.
The suspects ditched their SUV and fled toward a freeway exit on foot. The Cadillac driver was left with serious injuries and his passenger was killed. Their identities were not released.
The incident caused a miles-long backup that left thousands of motorists stranded on the freeway for hours and authorities worked to clear the scene.
Following an extensive investigation, detectives identified the two men as the suspects involved.
Joshua Rojas Sr. was arrested in San Bernardino on October 22, 2024, on a murder charge. He remains in custody awaiting trial.
Meanwhile, Christian Rojas had fled the U.S. and was hiding in Mexico, detectives said. A $4.3 million bail warrant was issued for his arrest.
“Through a coordinated international effort, investigators determined that Rojas was living in Palomo de Arriba, Mexico,” CHP officials said. “The U.S. Marshals Service worked with Mexican state police to locate and arrest him on the outstanding warrant.”
On June 2, 2026, Christian was arrested and extradited to the U.S. to face a murder charge.
“This arrest demonstrates that time and distance will not shield violent offenders from justice,” said CHP Southern Division Chief Chris Margaris. “For nearly two years, our detectives remained relentless in their pursuit of those responsible for this senseless act of violence. Through exceptional collaboration with the United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners in Mexico, we located and apprehended this suspect and brought him back to face the charges. We remain committed to protecting the public, supporting victims and their families, and holding violent criminals accountable wherever they may try to hide.”
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