Staff Reports
HANGING AROUND GOLDEN CORRAL
Gallup, Sept. 25
A woman was arrested after a Gallup Police Officer reportedly caught her hanging around the Golden Corral at night with a fentanyl pill in her pocket.
On Sept. 25, around 6:30 pm, Gallup Police Officer Eric Mangum was dispatched to the Golden Corral, located at 510 N. 11th St., after someone was reportedly caught smoking narcotics.
When Mangum arrived at the scene, he eventually came upon a woman who was identified as Melvina Silversmith, 43.
Mangum advised Silversmith that she was trespassing on the property, and he also explained that law enforcement had received a call about someone smoking narcotics in the area. Silversmith replied by saying she’d just gotten there, and that no one was there when she arrived.
Metro Dispatch informed Mangum that Silversmith had an active warrant out of the Gallup Magistrate Court for failure to appear on an original charge of possession of a controlled substance.
Mangum then informed Silversmith of her active warrant, and told her that she was being arrested for said warrant. Silversmith complied, and the two began walking towards Mangum’s patrol vehicle.
As they were walking to his patrol vehicle, Mangum reportedly saw Silversmith reach inside her clothing and then pull out an unknown object. He asked her to show him what she had in her hand, and when she opened her hand Mangum reportedly saw a blue pill with a “M30” imprint on it, which he identified as fentanyl.
During a routine body search, no other items were found on Silversmith’s person.
Mangum transported Silversmith to the McKinley County Adult Detention Center, where she was booked for possession of a controlled substance. Her preliminary hearing in Gallup Magistrate Court was scheduled for Sept. 30, and now she has a miscellaneous hearing scheduled for Oct. 14.
PASSED OUT AT A GAS STATION
Gallup, Aug. 18
A man was arrested for drug possession after he was found passed out outside a local gas station.
On Aug. 18, around 4 am, McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Byron Murphy was dispatched to Duke City Gas Station at 1512 E. Hwy. 66 to do a wellness check on a man who was reportedly slumped over on the sidewalk. The man was eventually identified as Ronald Thompson, 48.
When Murphy arrived at the scene Thompson was reportedly slumped over, but as he approached him he reportedly stood up and dropped a lighter and some folded aluminum foil.
Murphy asked Thompson if he was OK, and told him to sit on the ground. He then picked up the foil that was on the ground and checked to see if it had anything inside it. It reportedly contained a partially burnt blue pill inside, which Murphy identified as fentanyl.
When Murphy asked Thompson about the pill he said he’d picked it up and that he was going to smoke it. Murphy then told Thompson to stand up, and that he was under arrest for possession of a controlled substance.
During a routine body search, Murphy allegedly found eight more fentanyl pills on Thompson’s person. He then transported Thompson to the McKinley County Adult Detention Center, where he was booked for possession of a controlled substance.
After failing to appear for a Sept. 2 preliminary hearing in Gallup Magistrate Court and a Sept. 23 evidentiary hearing, Thompson’s case was moved to Gallup District Court. His jury trial for the charges is scheduled for Feb. 16.
