{"id":21985,"date":"2025-06-03T17:56:07","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T17:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/slain-bloomfield-police-officer-comes-home\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T04:10:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T04:10:21","slug":"slain-bloomfield-police-officer-comes-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/slain-bloomfield-police-officer-comes-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Slain Bloomfield Police officer comes home"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bloomfield
Bloomfield Police Department Officer Timothy Ontiveros\u2019 motorcade escort concludes at Farmington Funeral Home on Tuesday. Ontiveos died of injuries sustained on May 26 during a routine traffic stop. (Curtis Ray Benally\/Special to the Tri-City Record)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

The body of Bloomfield Police officer Timothy Ontiveros, who was shot during a traffic stop last week, was returned to Farmington on Tuesday with a procession led by New Mexico State Police.<\/p>\n

All Bloomfield government offices were closed from noon to 2:30 p.m. in honor of Ontiveros. The law enforcement procession taking Ontiveros from Albuquerque to Farmington started about 10 a.m. at the New Mexico Health Department.<\/p>\n

It arrived in Bloomfield on San Juan County 550 about 2:45 p.m. and proceeded on U.S. Highway 64 to the Farmington Funeral Home, 2111 W. Apache St.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a very emotional time for all law enforcement here in the Four Corners,\u201d said Police Chief Steve Hebbe. \u201cWe haven\u2019t had an officer killed in the line of duty in 35 years.\u201d He added that his department was \u201cvery emotional,\u201d because Ontiveros was a former Farmington Police employee.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of residents met the procession along the way.<\/p>\n

\"Timothy
Timothy Ontiveros<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Law enforcement officers from across the state came out in force on West Apache Street. Sirens blared, a helicopter circled above, and a crowd lined the street in anticipation of the motorcade procession for the fallen officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew him personally. We did Toys for Tots, bike runs, Aztec Speedway, and he worked was with Aztec Fire and as an EMT with me,\u201d said Christina Hanen. \u201cIt was heartbreaking. It\u2019s bringing us together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another woman spoke about Ontiveros\u2019 impact on her family.<\/p>\n

\u201cI honestly thought he was going to pull through. And when we got the news that he wasn\u2019t gonna make it \u2026 it was devastating. It\u2019s a big impact on my life, my son\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Farmington
Farmington Police Department officers and San Juan County Sheriff's deputies escort the body of Bloomfield Police Department Officer Timothy Ontiveros to the Farmington Funeral Home facilities on Tuesday. Ontiveos died of injuries sustained on May 26 during a routine traffic stop. (Curtis Ray Benally\/Special to the Tri-City Record)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Steve West, with American Legion Post 93 in Farmington, summed his feelings in one word: \u201cDevastasted. I hope it wakes people up \u2026 in terms of law and respect for the law and first responders.\u201d<\/p>\n

West said motorcycle riders from Post 93 participated in the motorcade.<\/p>\n

Leesha Allen said that when she heard there had been a shooting in Bloomfield that she texted Ontiveros. \u201cAnd he didn\u2019t answer me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really sad because two little girls lost their dad, she said.\u201d<\/p>\n

The week was met with community support and law enforcement support news broke that an officer had been shot in the line of duty.<\/p>\n

The Bloomfield Police Department announced Sunday that Ontiveros died. According to Bloomfield Police Chief Phillip Francisco, the deadly encounter began May 26 after Dennis Armenta, 58, declined to lower his window or provide ID to Ontiveros. After eight minutes of negotiation, officers attempted to arrest Armenta for concealing his identity and broke a window on his vehicle.<\/p>\n

\"Local
Local and statewide law enforcement salute the fallen Bloomfield Police Department Officer Timothy Ontiveros as he is escorted to Farmington Funeral Home from Albuquerque on Tuesday. (Curtis Ray Benally\/Special to the Tri-City Record)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Armenta then fired a handgun, striking Ontiveros and narrowly missing another officer. An officer returned fire and killed Armenta, who has a criminal record, according to New Mexico courts.<\/p>\n

\u201cViolence toward our courageous, selfless, and dedicated law enforcement officers is truly evil,\u201d said state Sen. Steve Lanier. \u201cOur San Juan communities must come together in this time of need to unite and move forward in a way that ensures a safe environment for community members and law enforcement officers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said she was devastated by Ontiveros\u2019 \u201cheartbreaking\u201d death, adding that Ontiveros \u201cperformed his duty with bravery and honor, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI extend my deepest condolences to officer Ontiveros\u2019s family, friends, and fellow officers,\u201d Lujan Grisham added. \u201cToday, all New Mexicans honor his life, his service, and the sacrifice he made to keep others safe. officer Ontiveros\u2019s service will never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOfficer Ontiveros was a valued member of the Bloomfield Police Department,\u201d Francisco said Sunday in a Facebook post. \u201cIn his short time with the agency, he demonstrated kindness, professionalism, and dedication to the safety of the community he served.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Farmington
Farmington Police Department's Sgt. Rachel Graff speaks with San Juan County Sheriff's deputies R. Sheldahl and T. Moore moments before the arrival of the motorcade procession for the fallen Bloomfield Police Department Officer Timothy Ontiveros from Albuquerque on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 on west Main Street. (Curtis Ray Benally\/Special to the Tri-City Record)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

As the Bloomfield Police Department mourned his death, other law enforcement agencies in the region assisted with police calls in Bloomfield.<\/p>\n

The Farmington Police Department, the San Juan County Sheriff\u2019s Office and the New Mexico State Police agreed to handle calls in Bloomfield while officers mourned the loss, Francisco said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe officers are grieving and having a hard time,\u201d Francisco said, adding many officers planned to visit Ontiveros in Albuquerque.<\/p>\n

Ontiveros, 32, joined the Bloomfield Police Department in December 2024 and also was a volunteer firefighter with the Aztec Fire Department.<\/p>\n

According to Francisco, Ontiveros was first treated at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington until he could be flown to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n

\"Farmington
Farmington Police Department employee Bianca Castillo (holding a sign), Sgt. Justin Anaya, Brittany Yee, Lizeth Ramirez and Haile Gleason await the motorcade procession for Bloomfield Police Department Officer Timothy Ontiveros from Albuquerque on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 on west Main Street. (Curtis Ray Benally\/Special to the Tri-City Record)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cWe\u2019re a law enforcement family no matter if you wear a badge or a star,\u201d Sheriff Shane Ferrari said, adding he knows how much the Bloomfield Police Department is hurting. Ferrari added that he has deputies who attended the academy with Ontiveros and his department had a \u201cneed to find out where we can help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The help came in the way of giving Bloomfield Police \u201csome time to be together and go through this mourning process,\u201d Ferrari said, adding \u201cwe absolutely want to help out our partners.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Aztec Fire Department helped out with a fundraiser for Ontiveros Sunday at the Aztec Senior Center, 101 S. Park Ave. All proceeds go to Ontiveros.<\/p>\n

A GoFundMe page was set up to support Ontiveros\u2019 family.<\/p>\n

Debra Mayeux and Trent Stephens contributed to this article.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Santa
Santa Fe Police Department senior officer Julian L. Martinez prepares to depart back to Santa Fe after assisting with and participating in the motorcade escort for the slain Bloomfield Police Department Officer Timothy Ontiveros on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (Curtis Ray Benally\/Special to the Tri-City Record)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Area
Area residents line the west Main Street to show support and pay tribute to the slain Bloomfield Police Department Officer Timothy Ontiveros on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. Officer Ontiveos died of gunshot injuries sustained on May 26 during a routine traffic stop. (Curtis Ray Benally\/Special to the Tri-City Record)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Robbins
Robbins Heating and Air Conditioning Co. employees hold up miniature US flags while awaiting the arrival of the motorcade procession for the fallen Bloomfield Police Department Officer Timothy Ontiveros from Albuquerque on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 on west Main Street. (Curtis Ray Benally\/Special to the Tri-City Record)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hundreds line procession route; Bloomfield city offices close until 2:30 p.m.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[28,29],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-21985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-headlines","tag-newsletter"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21985"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21985\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77536,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21985\/revisions\/77536"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21985"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=21985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}