New Mexico
New lawsuit against APD following DWI deception
Carlos Sandoval Smith is looking for justice for what he says he went through with Albuquerque Police Department’s DWI Unit.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Carlos Sandoval Smith is looking for justice for what he says he went through with Albuquerque Police Department’s DWI Unit.
This centers around the ongoing investigation into several officers accused of working with a local attorney to get DWI cases dismissed for money.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico along with a number of other attorneys have filed a lawsuit on Sandoval-Smith’s behalf.
It claims Sandoval-Smith was falsely arrested and pressured to pay thousands of dollars to have the charges dropped.
“It truly ruined my life,” said Sandoval-Smith.
Sandoval-Smith is talking about what happened on June 25, 2023.
APD officer Joshua Montano pulled him over on the I-25 Frontage Road just north of Central.
A class action lawsuit filed in district court outlines what followed and how Sandoval-Smith claims he became one of the many alleged victims of APD’s DWI unit extortion scheme.
Instead of Montano writing up a ticket, the lawsuit state he unlawfully expanded the scope of the stop by initiating a DWI investigation without suspicion Sandoval-Smith was under the influence.
“Throughout the entire interaction with officer Montano, Mr. Smith was cooperative. He answered his questions, he was honest, and participated in brief field sobriety tests that he passed and was ultimately booked into MDC and taken to jail,” said Taylor Smith, a cooperating attorney of ACLU New Mexico.
KOB 4 spoke with Smith back in February about this case. He’s representing Sandoval-Smith.
It was after Sandoval-Smith was taken downtown, he became aware something wasn’t right. The lawsuit explains Montano removed his lapel camera and moved Sandoval-Smith out of where he could be seen or heard.
It states that’s when Montano told him he had an attorney friend who could make the DWI charge go away.
“At first I was completely confused, I didn’t understand why he was doing this because I knew it was wrong. So I started to put the clues together and realize something is not right.”
Sandoval-Smith went to the office of attorney Thomas Clear III and recorded the conversation with paralegal Ricardo Mendez, who is also named in the lawsuit.
After that meeting, Sandoval-Smith told a public defender what had happened who then talked to the FBI.
Sandoval-Smith’s charges were dropped in January. Meanwhile, Bernalillo County district attorney dismissed hundreds of other cases because of this federal investigation.
The lawsuit also claims APD Chief Medina and city officials knew about the alleged scheme, and did not investigate.
In June 2022, FBI agents reportedly told APD about a different case involving Montano and Clear III with similar extortion allegations.
Six months later, another APD unit also allegedly received a tip about DWI officers.
Albuquerque police released a statement, saying all those claims are false.
A spokesperson says Medina worked closely with the FBI to uncover the DWI scheme, and opened an internal investigation to hold all involved accountable and leave no stone left unturned.
APD continues to work with the FBI and will release more details when they’re allowed.
The All-American Rejects played a pop-up show in a former alfalfa field in the South Valley after telling fans the location just hours before the concert.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A former alfalfa field in the South Valley served as the venue for one of the most highly-anticipated concerts of the year in New Mexico Wednesday night, although no one knew exactly where it would take place until a few hours before showtime.
The All-American Rejects, the band behind hits such as “Move Along” and “Dirty Little Secret” said they were coming to the Albuquerque area for a concert, but only fans who signed up for an alert received the exact location, and that didn’t come down until 5:55 p.m. Wednesday.
It’s part of the band’s free “House Party” concert series, which features performances in barns and backyards instead of more traditional venues in an effort to fight back against rising concert ticket prices.
“The whole tour, the message we’re trying to get across is what’s happened with concerts in general. It’s become a one-percenters club to have access to the one commodity we need for togetherness, which is music,” said Tyson Ritter, the lead singer and bassist for the band.
The owners of the property couldn’t believe their luck when they were selected. Jackeline and Thomas Ingham told KOB 4 their family’s properties in the South Valley have been used for weddings in the past, but certainly never for a major concert.
“And I thought it was a scam, so I hung up,” said Jackeline Ingham when asked about how the band’s manager reached out to her to set up the concert. “So, [my husband] is like, ‘Call her back!’ So, he ended up talking the rest of the way with her.”
Throughout the day, many fans of the All-American Rejects across New Mexico were trying to guess where the band might show up later in the evening.
“I thought it was either gonna be at Ex Novo, New Mexico United, or just somewhere in the South Valley because that’s what Reddit said all day,” said Brooke Palmer.
Fans within a 124-mile (200 km) radius were able to receive the band’s concert alert.
It ended with thousands of fans flocking to the area, and just before 8:30 p.m., an announcement was made saying the venue was at capacity, forcing many to leave.
Others remained outside the main gate trying to get the best view they could from afar.
But the band was ultimately happy with the former alfalfa field that was quickly turned into a concert stage.
“Well, this is number four. And this feels like this is the example,” said Ritter ahead of the show. “This is what a house party is. Right here, man. We’ve got a beautiful field, an incredibly generous host, the weather is with us.”
The professional rodeo season continues to heat up as we head into the spring and summer runs. Rodeos across the country drew top athletes over the recent weekend, as they vie for positions at the 2026 National Finals Rodeo (NFR).
Every dollar counts, especially as we enter the last five months of the 2026 season.
Riverdale Rodeo – Riverdale, Calif.
Bareback rider Jacob Lees earned two California victories on the weekend, scoring 81.5 points on Four Star Rodeo’s Sweet Annie in Riverdale. His 83.5-point ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Socket claimed the win in Stonyford.
Reigning Circuit Champion, Hayle Gibson-Stillwell, topped the barrel racing by two-tenths of a second with her time of 17.04 sconds.
Stonyford Rodeo – Stonyford, Calif.
California cowboy Bailey Small put together a solid weekend in his circuit, winning Stonyford with an 82.5-point ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Classy Clark. He also finished second in Riverdale.
Barrel racer Kathy Petska continues to dominate the circuit, claiming yet another spring win with a 17.50-second run.
American Royal Rodeo – Kansas City, Mo.
There are now two “Popes” to watch out for in the bareback riding — three-time NFR Average Champion and World Champion, Jess Pope, and his brother, Ty. Ty made a huge ride in Kansas City, scoring 87 points on Smith Pro Rodeos’ Broadway Boots for the win.
In 2025, Kansas cowboy Weston Patterson made his first NFR appearance and has carried that momentum into his 2026 season. Scoring 88 points on Korkow Rodeos’ Joker Poker, he claimed the saddle bronc riding win.
Pioneer Days Rodeo – Clovis, N.M.
Tie-down roper Buck Tate earned the win by over two full seconds, taking home $1,404.
Reigning Breakaway Roping World Champion Taylor Munsell claimed the $2,054 victory with a time of 1.8 seconds.
Helotes Festival Association Rodeo – Helotes, Texas
In bareback riding, Taylor Broussard matched up with Andrews Rodeo’s Empty Promises for a score of 85.5 points to earn the win.
Seven-time NFR qualifier, Isaac Diaz, topped the leaderboard with a score of 89 points on Diamond G Rodeo’s To The Limit. He earned the win in saddle bronc riding and $1,855.
PPCLA PRCA Rodeo – Mineral Wells, Texas
Sissy Winn put together a solid weekend in her circuit, topping the barrel racing in Mineral Wells and finishing fourth in Helotes.
Hailing from Winnie, Texas, Ethan Winckler made the only qualified ride in bull riding, scoring 87.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Mr. Blue Sky and taking home a whopping $4,863.
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