Two men shot, killed; El Cerro woman charged

EL CERRO — Two Valencia County men are dead and a woman is in custody, charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

Amy Pendleton, 41, of El Cerro, is charged with those two counts in relation to the shooting deaths of John Miramontes, 61, and George Yzquierdo, 64.

At about 12:40 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 18, Valencia County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call about a man with a gunshot wound to the chest in the 50 block of Inspiration Drive in El Cerro. When deputies arrived, Miramontes told them Pendleton shot him and another man, Yzquierdo, at a home in the 300 block of El Cerro Loop. He told the deputies Yzquierdo was dead.

Miramontes was transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, where he died later that day. According to the criminal complaint, deputies at the scene saw multiple wounds to Miramontes’ chest.

His car, a gray two-door Acura, was found at the home on Inspiration Drive with what appeared to be blood in several areas on the exterior of the vehicle, including a bloody hand print under the rear window on the driver’s side.

When deputies entered the home on El Cerro Loop, they found Pendleton hiding in a bathroom, and Yzquierdo dead on a couch in the living room. He had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the top of his head, as well as cuts on his chest and left arm.

An open knife was found on a nearby table with what looked like blood on the blade.

When Pendleton was searched, a black Makarov magazine, loaded with 9mm ammunition, was found in her pocket. A shell casing was found on the floor of the home between the living groom and kitchen that was consistent with the ammunition found in the magazine. An empty black holster was seen hanging at “head height” in the kitchen.

Pendleton was taken to a hospital for clearance then taken back to the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office to be interviewed. When she was read her Miranda rights, she said she didn’t want to talk to the officers.

Deputies had secured a search warrant for her clothing, DNA buccal swab, finger prints, pictures of her body, swabs of any trace evidence observed and other items that may contain bodily fluids or tissues on them.

While Pendleton was being photographed, she said she didn’t like cameras, because they are a “curse,” saying that was her belief system.

“She also stated without being asked anything that, ‘I was holding up a lot of anger but now I am not,’” according to the complaint.

Pendleton is being held in the Valencia County Detention Center on a no-bond hold. In the motion for pretiral detention filed by 13th Judicial District Assistant District Attorney Joshua J. Alt, while Pendleton hasn’t previously been charged with murder, she has a history of violence “towards civilians, law enforcement and medical professionals, as well as resistance to being apprehended.”

Alt cites several convictions for aggravated fleeing of a law enforcement officer, battery on a peace officer, aggravated battery and battery on a healthcare worker in Pendleton’s criminal history.

A pretrial detention hearing/preliminary hearing for Pendleton is scheduled for 10 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 2, before 13th Judicial District Court Judge James Lawrence Sanchez.