FBI AND NMSP NEWS

Three men have been charged federally in connection with the Nov. 11 robbery of the High Road Market in Peñasco.

The FBI, with the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and New Mexico State Police, arrested Terance Quintana, Andrew Romero, and Christopher Shemayme last Thursday.

All three are charged with interference with commerce by threats or violence, and Quintana and Romero also are charged with use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

The three men had initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque on Friday. They were ordered detained until their preliminary/detention hearings on Monday.

On Nov. 10 at about 4:10 p.m., New Mexico State Police officers from Taos responded to an armed robbery at the store. During their investigation they learned that Quintana entered the store armed with a firearm and robbed the business.  During the robbery, Quintana allegedly fired the gun into the ceiling of the business in the vicinity of a child.  Quintana left with an undisclosed amount of money. Officers located a cartridge inside the business and collected it as evidence. NMSP officers identified Quintana through video surveillance from the business.  They tracked down Quintana, Romero and Shemayme at a residence ence in Penasco. Officers observed Quintana wearing the clothing he had been described as wearing during the robbery. He was immediately arrested and taken into custody without further incident.

Following his arrest, Quintana was found to be in possession of a small plastic bag of heroin. During a search of the residence, officers located a handgun and white bandana believed to have been used during the robbery inside Quintana’s bedroom. Officers also learned that Romero and Shemayme were both involved in the armed robbery. Both were arrested and taken into custody without further incident.  All three were transported and booked into the Taos County Detention Center.