The arrest stemmed from an incident in which Samuel Gooch made arrangements via a telephone call to take possession of a firearm which Mark Gooch had given to a 3rd party. Samuel flew from Wisconsin to Phoenix with another family member for this meeting. Detectives, working with AFOSI Agents, facilitated the meeting in which Samuel took possession of the firearm he believed to be the one belonging to Mark.
From the San Juan Co. Sheriff's Office
Monday, May 4, 2020
On 05/03/20 Detectives with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of Agents from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) and with the Assistance of the Office Of Alcohol , Tobacco and Firearms arrested Samuel David Gooch after he was contacted in Surprise, AZ.
The arrest stemmed from an incident in which Samuel Gooch made arrangements via a telephone call to take possession of a firearm which Mark Gooch had given to a 3rd party. Samuel flew from Wisconsin to Phoenix with another family member for this meeting. Detectives, working with AFOSI Agents, facilitated the meeting in which Samuel took possession of the firearm he believed to be the one belonging to Mark.
Samuel was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff Office 4th Ave Jail for Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree and Attempting to Tamper with Physical Evidence in the ongoing investigation of the murder of Sasha KRAUSE. The other family member was released without charges at this time.
Following the arrest of Mark Gooch, Detectives had collected the firearm connected to him which was being stored at an unrelated residence in the Phoenix area.
This investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending.
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.