Through investigation, officers gained information on Destinee Sweeney and the child’s possible location at a house on County Road 4029 in the Middle Mesa area of Navajo Lake. San Juan County Sheriff’s Office deputies, NMSP, and FPD officers responded to the area. Working together, they were able to locate Ava Spicer safely and arrest Sweeney around 2:19 a.m. Sweeney was charged with kidnapping and intimidation of a witness.
From Farmington Police:
Thursday, February 4, 2021
On February 3, 2021, around 6:30 p.m. Destinee Sweeney and her girlfriend had a verbal altercation in the Walmart parking lot on E. Main St., resulting in her partner walking away from the vehicle for a few minutes. Sweeney drove away with her girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter, Ava Spicer. After attempting to persuade Sweeney to return the child for some time, Spicer’s mother contacted Farmington police at approximately 8:17 p.m. Officers obtained information on the child, Sweeney, and the vehicle they were last seen in and issued an attempt to locate. After Sweeney made statements threatening the child’s safety, New Mexico State Police issued an Amber Alert. Through investigation, officers gained information on Sweeney and the child’s possible location at a house on County Road 4029 in the Middle Mesa area of Navajo Lake. San Juan County Sheriff’s Office deputies, NMSP, and FPD officers responded to the area. Working together, they were able to locate Ava Spicer safely and arrest Sweeney around 2:19 a.m. Sweeney was charged with kidnapping and intimidation of a witness.
Farmington Police Department thanks SJCSO, NMSP, La Plata County Colorado Sheriff’s Office, and Southern Ute Police Department for their assistance in bringing this incident to a peaceful resolution.
For 15 years, Lauren Laws has dedicated her career to Aztec Schools, beginning as a Special Education teacher in 2008. In 2010 she transitioned to General Education, where she spent six years in the classroom working with 4th and 5th graders at Park Avenue Elementary while completing work on her Master's Degree. During her tenure at Park Avenue Elementary, she also served a Lead Teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Lauren has spent the past three years serving as the Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning for the district.
Brice Current was a former narcotics agent with the San Juan County Sheriff's Office in Aztec, NM. He was hired as Durango's Deputy Police Chief in 2019.
Crews arrived to find a camp trailer on fire and one occupant still inside. Another occupant was transported to the hospital with minor injuries and has since been released. Despite a quick response from fire crews, one occupant was found dead in the trailer after the fire was extinguished.
The name of the deceased is not yet released.
The FMS Board of Education authorized school security personnel to carry firearms on school premises during their January 9, 2024, meeting. The move paved the way for the hiring of Armed Campus Safety Monitors (ACSMs), former certified law enforcement officers tasked with providing an additional layer of protection for students and staff during emergencies.
Farmington Officials gathered with representatives from the NM Department of Transportation and San Juan County to break ground on the long-anticipated Pinon Hills Boulevard Extension Project. San Juan County announced that design work on their section of the project is 90% completed.
Kevin Summers will be returning to the Bloomfield School District as Superintendent, after the retirement of Dr. Kim Mizell at the end of the current school year. Summers' hire makes an opening in the Superintendent's Office in Aztec where he has served for the past three years.