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I ijerina s«on arrestLOS LUNAS; N.M. LAP) — Six members of Reies Lopez Tijerina's Alianza attempted to make a citizens’ arrest ot U; S. Forest Service special agent James Evans at his home near Los Lunas Monday night, - but Evans wasn’t at home.The Alianza delegation, led by •Wilfrcclo. Sedillo, was met at Evans’ home by seven State Police officers,. Valencia County sheriff Jack Elkins and two depr ulies. The. Alianza delegation was unarmed and submitted to a search by officers.Tijerina liad told a news conference Monday afternoon that' whatever force necessary would be used To arrest Evans.* ’’If we shoot bim, he will die resisting arrest,11 Tijerina had said. •But Tijerina was not among the group that drove up to. Evans’ home about 10 p.m. Attar being searched, several of the group walked to the door and Sedillo knocked on it.A Stale 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 civilirights, false arrest and kidnaping.” -The citizens’ arrest attempt the outgrowth of an incident Sunday at Coyote in northern New Mexico in which Tijerina was arrested by Evans 011 federal charges of interfering with an arrest. His arrest came moments after Ids 20-year-old wife, Patsy, was arrested on charges of destroying public property. She is alleged to have burned a Forest Sendee sign.Sedillo said later the Alianzaa1delegation remained at the ° Evans home for 10 to 15 min- c utcs before returning to Albu- a querque. ' ; IHe said he was not., sure ^ whether Evans was home or * not, but, he said, “He didn't an- s swer the door. *-“If lie is a law-abiding man, r he will observe the warrant.. 1£ £ not, he is a fugitive;” tBill Higgs,- a spokesman- for s the Alianza, declined . to comment on Tijerina’s whereabouts s when the arrest was attempted * and why he did not participate. 1 •Besides Sedillo, .those in the 5 arrest party were:’ Jose Aragon i an 'Rudy Trujillo, two; of eight lt;persons charged Sunday in cpii- ; nection with the burning of tlie : sign; Bob Gahdaia of Los-'Angeles;'Calif ;,;:apd .Tint Chapa and Rudy Gonzales of Albuquerque.Tijerina told 'the afternoon news conference that after, hiswife was arrested Sunday,Evans and several other uhidentified persons suddenly appear-e .an pointed guns at him. The land grant claimant said they were not wearing uniforms or any identifying 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 him down.’,’He said his wife burned theForest Service sign because .it was on land she believed belonged to the old San Joaquin land grant ancl not to the govern men I.The incident happened after -a four-day Alianza campout celebrating the second anniversary v of the Rio Arriba County courthouse raid.Mrs. Tijerina and six others charged in the Sunday incident were to appear before the commissioner today.
Newspaper Details
Las Vegas Optic
Las Vegas, New Mexico, US
Tue, Jun 10, 1969
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Greg P.
AU 21 Jun 2023
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