By Molly Ann Howell
Managing Editor
A mother and son were both facing charges after the son allegedly tried stealing a couple’s truck and boat and his mom reportedly tried to get him out of the sticky situation.
Betty Estrada, who was 67 at the time of the incident, is facing one count of fraud. Her second preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 7.
Julian Estrada, who was 24 at the time of the incident, was initially facing charges of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, larceny (more than $2,500 but not more than $20,000), and fraud. His case was dismissed April 17.
THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
A couple arrived at the Gallup Police Department around 5 pm Feb. 16 wanting to report a stolen vehicle.
According to court documents, the couple said that their vehicle and an attached boat was stolen by a man while they were parked at a gas station around 12 pm Feb. 13.
The couple was reportedly traveling from Texas to California to sell the truck and boat to another individual. They were traveling west on Interstate 40 when they pulled off at Exit 26 and stopped at a Speedway gas station, located at 2654 E. Hwy. 66.
While the man was inside the gas station, Estrada allegedly jumped inside the vehicle and took off. A gas station employee called the Gallup Police to report the incident.
Around 3 am the next day, Gallup Police officers called the victim and told him that a boat matching the description from his report was located at an address in Gallup.
Another man had come with the couple to the police station as a witness. He explained that Julian had dropped the boat off at his house around 2 am Feb. 14.
Julian reportedly woke the man up by knocking on his window. When the man met Julian outside, Julian said he would be keeping the boat at his house “for a while.”
The man said he asked Julian how he wound up with a truck and boat in his possession, to which Julian told him that he bought them. Julian allegedly offered the man $100 to “keep an eye on his boat for him” until he could come back for it at a later time.
The man said he didn’t want to argue with Julian, so he let him leave his property. He stated that he knew Julian more than likely didn’t have the financial means to purchase a nice truck and a nice boat. He reportedly suspected the two vehicles were stolen, so he called GPD.
The witness said he wanted to help the victims get their truck and boat back, so he provided them with Julian’s name and his mother’s address.
The victims visited Julian’s mother Betty. While they were at Betty’s house Betty called Julian. When the mother and son talked, Julian allegedly told his mother that he doesn’t have the truck anymore and that he was out of the state.
In an interview with the Sun, Betty said she felt like it was her responsibility as a mother to try and get her son to do the right thing.
“I didn’t have to get involved in any way, but as a mom I just [had to],” she said.
Betty reportedly tried to talk to Julian and suggested that he could bring the truck to her so that she could return it to the rightful owners.
Julian allegedly told his mother that he was “blackout drunk” when he stole the truck and he didn’t remember where he left it.
The victims said they collected both Julian and Betty’s numbers, and then they left Betty’s house to go back to the gas station where they acquired video footage of the alleged theft.
After the couple finished telling Gallup Police officers their story, the interview was concluded. But the female victim called Gallup Police officers around 11 pm the next day and said she’d contacted Betty earlier that day.
She reportedly learned that Betty was pleading with Julian to return the truck. The victim told the police that she and her fiancé set up a $1,000 reward for the return of their vehicle. She said she felt Betty knew about the reward and, without the couple’s knowledge, told Julian that he would get $1,500 if he brought the truck back.
The victim said they’d told Betty they would give Julian only $1,000 if he returned the truck.
Betty eventually returned in the couple’s truck, and a dark blue minivan picked her up after she delivered the keys to the couple.
Betty told the Sun that the couple said they wouldn’t press charges against Julian as long as he returned the truck. However, New Mexico State Police Officer Irvonne Bahe met with Gallup District Attorney Bernadine Martin Feb. 28 and determined that it was appropriate to charge Julian and Betty.
