A magistrate judge dismissed animal cruelty charges for the second time against a Placitas man, who was initially charged on Feb. 26 after authorities said they found dozens of Australian shepherds and five horses on his property.
Paul Jaramillo, who faced 19 total misdemeanor charges — 18 counts of animal cruelty and one count of resisting an officer — had his case dismissed during a virtual bench trial Sept. 26.
Jaramillo’s first case was dismissed in August after a “participant” failed to appear for the trial, according to court documents. Jaramillo’s attorney, Steve Archibeque, said the state’s witness did not show up for court.
During the trial, Archibeque, asked that Judge Kenneth Eichwald dismiss the case after it was revealed that a witness, while being questioned, had another barred witness in the room with him, violating trial rules.
According to a criminal complaint, deputies reported that during the initial arrest, they observed 35 to 40 dogs running loose on the property and observed dogs on the roof of the house.
The dogs were in various states of health, including one “freshly dead dog” near the main entrance, according to the criminal complaint, and there were pieces of dog remains scattered throughout the property. The deputies said they found a lack of food and water for the dogs, with some water dishes containing “dirty, muddy, stagnant water.”
Additionally, five horses were kept in a pen under similar conditions, with a neighbor providing a small amount of hay due to inadequate care, according to the complaint.
Deputies said that when they encountered Jaramillo, they issued multiple commands for him to exit the residence, but he said he would not come out. Concealing his hands behind the door frame, he informed deputies three times that he “may have a gun on his person” and threatened them, according to the complaint. The report indicated that Jaramillo repeatedly used racial slurs against the deputies and urged them to shoot him.
In May, the Sandoval County Commission unanimously approved a resolution requiring the owner of the property where Jaramillo was living to remove the building.
During the May commission meeting, Sandoval County Manager Wayne Johnson told commissioners the county had to take custody of 47 Australian Shepherds. Describing conditions he said, “The animals were found starving, in some cases actually eating each other, living on the roof. When [police] made entry into the property, they found feces as high as your knee along the walls.”
Johnson said 19 of the dogs were taken to Animal Humane in Española, while the remaining dogs are being housed in shelters across Aztec, Bernalillo and Sandoval counties. Additionally, one deputy took in three of the dogs to foster at their home.
According to county officials, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office filed the charges for a third time on Sept. 27.
What happened to the horses?