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LOS LUNAS, N.M. (AP) - Six members of Reies Lopez Tijerina's Alianza attempted to make a citizens* arrest of U. S. ForestService special agent James Evans at his home near Los Lunas Monday night, but Evans wasn't at home.The Alianza delegation, led by Wilfredo Sedillo, was met at Evans' home by seven State Police officers, Valencia County sheriff Jack Elkins and two deputies. The Alianza delegation was unarmed and submitted to a search by officers.Tijerina had told a news conference Monday afternoon that whatever force necessary would be used to arrest Evans.“If we shoot him, he will die resisting arrest, Tijerina hadsaid.But Tijerina was not among the group that drove up toEvans' home about 10 p.m. After being searched, several of the group walked to the door and Sedillo knocked on it.A State Policeman told them no one was home.Sedillo knocked again, received no reply and then read the citizens' arrest warrant and attached the warrant to the house.The warrant, signed by Tijerina, accused Evans of “conspiracy, assault and battery, attempted murder, denial of civil rights, false arrest and kidnaping.The citizens' arrest attempt was the outgrowth of an incidentSunday at Coyote in northern New Mexico in which Tijerina was arrested by Evans on fed-eral charges of interfering with an arrest. His arrest came moments after his 20-year-old wife, Patsy, was arrested on charges of destroying public property. She is alleged to have burned aForest Service sign.Sedillo said later the Alianza delegation remained at theEvans home for 10 to 15 minutes before returning to Albuquerque.He said he was not sure whether Evans was home or not, but, he said, “He didn't answer the door.“If he is a law-abiding man, he will observe the warrant. If not, he is a fugitive.Bill Higgs, a spokesman for the Alianza, declined to comment on Tijerina's whereabouts when the arrest was attemptedand why he did not participate.Besides Sedillo, those in the arrest party’ were: Jose Aragonand Rudy Trujillo, two of eight persons charged Sunday in connection with the burning of the sign; Bob Gandara of Los Angeles, Calif., and Tim Chapa and Rudy Gonzales of Albuquerque.Tijerina told the afternoon news conference that after his wife was arrested Sunday, Evans and several other unidentifiedpersons suddenly appeared and pointed guns at him. The land grant claimant said they were not wearing uniforms or anyidentifying insignia.He said he thought the onlyway to keep Evans from shooting him was to “run to my car and get a gun and simmer himdown.**He said his wife burned the Forest Service sign because it was on land she believed belonged to the old San Joaquin land grant and not to the government.The incident happened after a four-day Alianza campout celebrating the second anniversary of the Rio Arriba County courthouse raid.A preliminary hearing in Albuquerque for Tijerina on the charges was scheduled today. But U. S. Commissioner Robert McCoy granted Tijerina's request for a delay and set the hearing for Friday.Mrs. Tijerina and six others | charged in the Sunday incident were to appear before the commissioner today.
Newspaper Details
Lovington Daily Leader
Lovington, New Mexico, US
Tue, Jun 10, 1969
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Greg P.
AU 21 Jun 2023
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