Two El Paso Police Department officers allegedly attempted to prevent the arrest of a fellow officer suspected of driving drunk and crashing into two vehicles in less than 25 minutes near the department's headquarters, court documents state.
All three officers have been placed on administrative duty.
Officer Isaac Menchaca, who was off duty at the time, was driving a dark grey Dodge Ram about 1:55 p.m. March 5 in the 3000 block of Tularosa Avenue near the El Paso Police Department headquarters when he swerved and hit a parked GMC Terrain, a complaint affidavit states.
The GMC was "properly parked" on the side of the street, the affidavit states.
A witness told investigators she saw the Dodge hit the vehicle and flee. She then followed the Dodge to get a picture of it and its license plate.
The witness followed the Dodge for about three or four blocks when the driver of the Dodge pulled over to the side of the street. The driver then exited the Dodge and started to spit or throw up, the affidavit states.
Surveillance videos from the El Paso Police Department headquarters and a nearby business obtained by investigators showed Menchaca opening the Dodge's driver door and throwing up, the affidavit states.
Menchaca is then seen driving east on Tularosa Avenue, past Raynor Street.
The witness then drove back to the crash location and left a note on the GMC's window. The message read, "saw the car that hit yours," with a phone number for GMC's owner to call, the affidavit states.
The damage to the GMC was estimated at more than $3,600.
As the witness was driving home, she saw the Dodge abandoned on the side of the road in the 3600 block of East Yandell Drive.
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Less than 25 minutes later, Menchaca allegedly lost control of his Dodge about 2:17 p.m. and crashed into the back of a U.S. Postal Service mail truck. He fled the crash but left the Dodge there, the affidavit states.
Officers saw the Dodge had sustained damage to the right rear quarter and fender.
A Postal Service worker was interviewed by officers. The worker said he saw a grey truck and heard a tire flapping on the ground. In the affidavit, an officer wrote the tire damage was "possibly from a prior accident."
The Dodge drove east on Yandell and then made a U-turn by Stevens Street, the postal worker told officers. The driver, who was now driving the truck west on Yandell, then lost control and struck the Postal Service truck in the left rear quarter, the affidavit states.
Menchaca then got out of the truck. The Postal Service worker pulled over and turned on his hazard lights. The worker got photos of the damage to the Postal Service truck and of Menchaca at the crash, the affidavit states.
The worker then called a U.S. Postal Service supervisor and reported the crash. The supervisor then arrived at the crash.
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The supervisor told officers he attempted several times to get information from Menchaca, but he refused to provide any information or documentation, the affidavit states.
The estimated damage to the U.S. Postal Service truck was more than $1,100.
Both the worker and supervisor later identified Menchaca as the driver of the Dodge in a photo lineup, the affidavit states.
Two affidavits filed against two other El Paso police officers — Enrique David Mendoza and Aaron Poblano — charged in connection with the case provide details on how and why Menchaca left the second crash.
Mendoza and Poblano were off duty at the time, El Paso Police Department officials said.
Mendoza drove to the crash intending to "impede the arrest of his friend Isaac Menchaca," an affidavit states.
The affidavit alleges Menchaca was "under the suspicion of driving while intoxicated."
Mendoza allegedly placed Menchaca in Poblano's vehicle to be taken away from the crash because Mendoza was "afraid Isaac Menchaca would be arrested," the affidavit states.
He is also accused of contacting other officers who responded to the crash. Mendoza asked the other officers "if they could do a favor for a fellow officer," the affidavit states.
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In the complaint affidavit filed against Poblano, he is accused of picking up Menchaca from the crash and driving him back to a bar. The name of the bar is not mentioned in court documents.
He also allegedly called a towing service in an attempt to have Menchaca's truck towed, the affidavit states.
Menchaca was arrested March 15 on a charge of duty on striking an unattended vehicle, jail records show. He was booked into the El Paso County Jail on a $2,000 bond. He posted bail the same day, jail logs show.
He was then arrested April 11 on a charge of accident involving damage, jail records show. He was booked into the El Paso County Jail on a $2,000. He posted the bail the same day, jail logs show.
Menchaca's lawyer, Dereck Wyatt, said the situation is not what the affidavits filed by the police department are making it out to be.
"This is all just a big misunderstanding," Wyatt said. "Once we talk to all the parties involved and see what the car insurances claims and such are, I think this is just going to turn out to be something that got blown up just because my guy is a police officer. We are going to fight hard for this gentleman because I don't think he is guilty of what he is accused of."
Mendoza and Poblano were arrested July 6 on suspicion of interference with public duties, jail records show. They were each booked into the El Paso County Jail on a $1,000 bond. They both posted bail the same day, jail logs show.
Lawyer Justin Underwood, who is representing both Mendoza and Poblano, said his clients never interfered in the police department's investigation into the accident.
"My clients are completely innocent of these charges," Underwood said. "To interfere with public duties, you got to interfere and neither of my clients did that. When they arrived, there were no officers there at the scene. They went to help their buddy and take him home. They never interfered with law enforcement or their investigation. I think because this involves officers, the police department just filed these charges to cover their butts. But my clients did nothing wrong and I expect these charges to be dropped."
Menchaca has more than two years with the El Paso Police Department, Poblano has more than three years, and Mendoza has more than six years, officials said. All three have been placed on administrative duty.
Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter@AMartinezEPT.
