Storrie Lake shooting suspect remains jailed despite request for release

During a Sept. 11 arraignment hearing, the attorney for Roger A. Tait-Gomez, 29, asked the court to release him so he can care for his ailing mother. Tait-Gomez’s mother told Judge Flora Gallegos that she has health issues and needs her son out of jail to help her attend medical appointments, according to records filed in the Fourth Judicial District Court.

Tait-Gomez has been in custody at the San Miguel County Detention Center since July 28 while he awaits trial. He and 30-year-old Nico L. Barela were charged with first-degree murder following a Jul 6 shooting near Storrie Lake State Park that claimed the life of Tafoya and injured two other teens. According to police, Tait-Gomez and Barela fired multiple shots at a car carrying six teens ranging in age from 14 to 17.

Tait-Gomez’s mother appeared at the hearing via video, telling the court that she needs her son’s help with things like shopping for groceries, which she said she hasn’t been able to do since he was arrested.

The woman said that Tait-Gomez’s girlfriend, Skye A. Sedillo, 21, has been living with her while on house arrest, but Sedillo is unable to drive, so she cannot assist with getting groceries or in taking her to appointments.

Sedillo was arrested Aug. 10 after Las Vegas police located her in a car outside SMCDC with a package containing methamphetamine and heroin, according to court records. Police allege Sedillo was attempting to sneak the package to Tait-Gomez inside the jail.

During the hearing, Deputy District Attorney Tom Clayton asked the court to hold Tait-Gomez without bond, citing the severity of the charges against him, and that one child was killed, one is still fighting for her life and that Tait-Gomez admitted to police that he fired several shots at the car with the teens inside.

Clayton told Judge Gallegos that the district attorney’s office was concerned that, if released, Tait-Gomez would flee the state, citing that he is a resident of Washington state, and that he has family there. Clayton said the only reason Tait-Gomez was in New Mexico was because he was a witness in a homicide case in Washington.

Clayton also said that Tait-Gomez’s mother knew his whereabouts while police searched for him for three weeks, but did not tell police where he was, and that Tait-Gomez would present a “danger to the community” if he were to be released.

Tait-Gomez’s attorney, Ray Floersheim, denied that Tait-Gomez left Washington because of involvement in a homicide case, and said that prosecutors have not proven Tait-Gomez is a flight risk. Floersheim asked that Tait-Gomez be released, either on his own recognizance, or on bond. However, Judge Gallegos agreed with prosecutors and ordered Tait-Gomez to be held without bond.

 

Tait-Gomez, Barela cases ‘moving forward’

Nico Barela also remains in custody at SMCDC after the Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s office filed a motion in August seeking that he be held without bond until trial. Barela is also awaiting trial in two other cases. In one, he’s charged with forgery and concealing his identity; in another case, he’s charged with possession of a controlled substance.

At an Aug. 27 arraignment hearing in District Court, Judge Gerald Baca maintained the court’s decision to hold Berela without bond while he awaits trial.

Fourth Judicial District Attorney Richard Flores told the Optic both Barela and Tait-Gomez are now likely to remain in jail until trial, but he was reluctant to say much about either case since they are ongoing.

“I will say that the cases are moving forward, and we will continue to vigorously prosecute these defendants,” Flores said.

Barela and Tait-Gomez are both charged with first-degree murder, three counts aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery. Barela is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

Sedillo’s case

Skye Sedillo has been on house arrest with a GPS monitor since being released from SMCDC Aug. 13, but this week, a judge approved a request to have the GPS monitor removed.

Sedillo’s attorney petitioned the court to amend her conditions of release, which were put in place Aug. 13 by Judge Melanie Rivera. The conditions of release stipulated that Sedillo be on house arrest, and that she wear a GPS ankle monitor. Sedillo was also required to pay the costs associated with that monitoring.

On Tuesday, Sedillo’s attorney asked that the ankle monitor be removed because Sedillo was not able to afford the cost.

Judge Christian Montaño approved the removal of the monitor, but Flores told the Optic that while the court is allowing the monitor to be removed, Sedillo will still be on house arrest, and the other conditions of her release remain in place.

Those conditions require Sedillo to stay home, not possess or use drugs or alcohol and to avoid any contact with Tait-Gomez or other potential witnesses in the case.

Las Vegas police and corrections officers at SMCDC allege that Sedillo, Tait-Gomez and Kevin DeHerrera — another SMCDC inmate — worked together in an attempt to sneak drugs into the jail.

DeHerrera and Tait-Gomez called Sedillo from the jail and arranged to have her pick up a package containing drugs, according to an arrest affidavit filed in San Miguel Magistrate Court. Thinking he had the cooperation of a corrections officer, DeHerrera planned to have Sedillo deliver the drugs to the corrections officer, a man he thought would bring them into the jail. Instead, the corrections officer contacted Las Vegas police, and Sedillo was arrested outside the jail facility.

According to transcripts of an Aug. 9 jail call filed in Magistrate Court, Tait-Gomez directed Sedillo to the home of Adam C. Bustos, 32, who gave Sedillo a package containing 6.1 grams of methamphetamine, 6.4 grams of heroin, injection needles, a lighter and two cigarettes, according to the arrest affidavit.

During the phone call, Tait-Gomez asked Bustos to “get two parts together for him, you know, the black people and the white people.” Police allege this was coded language for black tar heroin and meth. Tait-Gomez also requested needles, cigarettes and a lighter.

The phone was handed back to Sedillo, and Tait-Gomez said, “So he’s going to hook you up with some stuff and whatnot…I’m going to need you to pull out the other $80 from the account because I need $500 total… Don’t worry. Mom won’t get upset. Just make sure you package it up real nice and good,” the transcript reads.

Bustos and Sedillo have been charged with two counts trafficking controlled substances, and two counts conspiracy to commit trafficking. Bustos also faces one count of criminal solicitation to bring contraband into jail, and Sedillo faces charges of bringing contraband into jail and conspiracy bringing contraband into jail.

Bustos is scheduled to appear in Magistrate Court on Sept. 29 for a preliminary hearing. A preliminary hearing for Sedillo is scheduled for Oct. 8, also in Magistrate Court.