By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Raton Police officers were dispatched to 516 South 2nd Street Sunday night January 19, 2020 at about 1:37 a.m. for a disturbance call and upon entering the residence officers found Ross Lopez (22) lying on the floor unresponsive.
After clearing the remainder of the house and finding no one else, officers determined Lopez had been stabbed several times and requested EMS in for evaluation. They determined that Lopez had succumbed to those injuries.
Shortly after officers arrived on scene, they were notified that Joseph Romero, owner of the residence according to court documents, had walked into the Police Department where he was interviewed by Sergeant Coca. Romero stated that he had walked back to his residence from a friend’s house and heard arguing inside. As Romero entered the residence, he saw Ross Lopez and Jeffery Sandoval-Garcia who were involved in a heated, verbal argument. Romero then left the residence and called Raton Police.
According to court records Sandoval-Garcia was later located in the backyard of a residence on Savage Ave. Sandoval-Garcia was arrested without incident and booked into the Vigil Maldonado Detention Center where he remains at press time. Sandoval-Garcia is facing charges of Murder in the 1st Degree and Tampering with Evidence.
