Courtesy/NMSP
NMSP News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico State Police (NMSP) successfully apprehended a suspect following a high-speed pursuit on Interstate 25 earlier this month, resulting in the recovery of a firearm in the hands of a felon and a significant quantity of narcotics.
At around 11:30 p.m., Jan. 8, 2024, a NMSP District 1 Santa Fe officer initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling southbound on Interstate 25 near mile marker 261.
The car was traveling at an excessive speed on a temporary spare tire and was failing to stay in one lane.
After seeing these unsafe conditions, the officer promptly initiated the traffic stop.
The driver, who the officer later identified as Diego Jose Talamante, 31, of Santa Fe, did not stop, and a pursuit ensued.
Talamante drove erratically during the pursuit, weaving on and off the interstate at speeds exceeding 100 mph, attempting to evade the officer. He eventually exited the interstate at the Waldo Canyon exit and continued driving on Waldo Canyon Road.
After a short time, Talamante lost control of his vehicle on the snow-covered road and slid into a dirt berm. Ignoring the officer’s commands to stop, Talamante got out of his car and took off running, and the officer continued to pursue him on foot.
The officer captured Talamante while he was trying to crawl under a fence by discharging his taser and successfully took Talamante into custody.
A search of Talamante after his arrest resulted in the officer seizing:
- A loaded handgun
- 72 grams of methamphetamine
- 68 grams of fentanyl
- 35 naloxone strips
- $3,519.75 in cash
NMSP booked Talamante into the Santa Fe County Detention Center and charged him with:
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm
- Drug Trafficking (3 counts)
- Drug Distribution (3 counts)
- Aggravated Fleeing a Police Officer
- Resisting, Evading, or Obstructing an Officer
- Multiple Traffic Violations
