Narcotics agents gain search warrant for Mesa Avenue house
Staff Reports
Narcotics agents with the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and the Gallup Police Department found drugs stuffed inside a teddy bear after conducting a search in a house.
On April 3, around 6 am, Narcotics Agents with the GPD and the MCSO, while working with the federal Violent Gang Task Force, conducted a search of a house located in the 300 block of West Mesa Avenue after obtaining a search warrant. The search warrant was signed by McKinley County District Judge Bradely Keeler.
When the task force knocked on the door and announced their presence Matthew Angel opened the door. He reportedly immediately turned around and fled into the house’s bathroom.
Officers entered the house and met Adaline Montoya, 45, and two other people. After speaking to the residents of the house, officers began taking photos of the house.
During the search of the house GPD Officer Lionel Desiderio entered one of the bedrooms. He reportedly found two burnt blue pills on some aluminum foil near a bed frame. He also found two digital scales sitting on a dresser.
Desiderio reportedly continued to find multiple baggies of drugs throughout his search.
Eventually, he allegedly found a teddy bear, which had a baggie with a blue powdery-like substance hidden inside its neck. He also found three cellphones in this bedroom.
In another bedroom, he found a 12 gauge shotgun and a handgun. Along with the firearms, he found some THC cartridges, and several shotgun shells. Finally, he found keys to a 2011 Chevrolet Impala. IN the house’s living room, he found another digital scale.
The Chevrolet Impala reportedly belonged to Montoya’s son. He gave the officers permission to search the car, and they reportedly found a blue pill, which Desiderio identified as fentanyl, on the driver’s side floor boards. The owner of the car said he lets Montoya and Angel borrow his car for errands.
Montoya was arrested on two counts of possession of a controlled substance. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 23. Angel was arrested for an outstanding warrant.
