Ptlm. Glen Huber 1955-1991 |
Glen Huber was born in Boulder, Colorado on July
7, 1955, and later moved to Roswell, and then to Santa Fe. He attended
school in Santa Fe graduated in 1973. He attended the New Mexico
Military Institute Junior College in Roswell and New Mexico State
University in Las Cruces. He was involved with the ROTC program
in college and he
entered the U. S. Army as a second lieutenant and served for four years.
Glen was commissioned as a New Mexico State Police Officer in October
1981, and was stationed in the Española District.
He later transferred to Angel Fire and remained there a few
months before resigning and becoming the City Marshal of Pecos. Glen
worked for the City of Pecos for two years until he was reinstated with
the state police and was assigned to Española.
On January 26, 1991, at about 2:11 p.m., Rio Arriba County Deputy Jerry Martinez arrived at the Abeyta residence to serve a restraining order filed by Ricky Abeyta’s live-in girlfriend, Ignacita Sandoval-Vasquez. |
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At 3:52 p.m., Deputy Martinez left the
Abeyta residence, after the owner of a stolen pickup advised him he had
located his pickup in a nearby arroyo in Chimayo.
After Deputy Martinez left the Abeyta residence, investigation revealed
that Abeyta
approached the residence with a 7mm rifle and a .357 magnum handgun. Abeyta was heard to yell “Con esto pagan, jodidos” (With
this you will pay). He
first shot Macario Gonzales, who was a boyfriend to Ignacita’s
daughter, in the back with the 7mm rifle while he was standing in the
back of a U-Haul moving van. Thirteen-year-old Eloy Sandoval started
running away and Abeyta shot him in the upper chest. Eloy fell and was shot again in the buttocks with the .357
magnum. Ignacita’s
daughter, Mary Ellen, was shot in the back of the head with the .357
handgun as she reached the front steps of the residence.
Mary Ellen was holding her five month-old son, Justin, who fell
from his dead mother’s arms and rolled under a pickup.
Justin was then shot in the side of the head with the handgun. Abeyta entered the
mobile home where he shot Cheryl Rendon, Ignacita’s sister, in the
back of the neck. Abeyta
then shot Ignacita in the left jaw area with the .357 magnum.
Glen, along with two
other state police officers, and Deputy Martinez, were at the scene of
the stolen pickup when Deputy Martinez turned the investigation over to
the state police and returned to the Abeyta residence. Witness statements indicated that Deputy Martinez, unaware
of the slayings, returned to the scene and was confronted by Abeyta.
Abeyta was standing near the left front fender of the police car
while Deputy Martinez stood behind the front left door. Abeyta was heard telling Deputy Martinez to turn off
his police radio. A witness
stated he observed Abeyta lean over and fire a shot at
Deputy Martinez as he leaned into his police unit.
Deputy Martinez was shot twice in the left side of the head. The witness stated he took the officer’s service revolver
away from Abeyta’s sister, who was trying to fire it at Abeyta.
The witness then threw the weapon up on the garage roof.
The sheriff’s office began receiving phone calls
reporting shots being fired and two men were down.
Glen was dispatched to the scene with backup officers on the
way. Glen arrived at 4:27 p.m. and stopped what he
probably believed to be a tactically safe distance from the residence to assess the
situation. While hiding
behind trees and shrubbery, Abeyta ambushed Glen from a distance of
about 200 feet as the officer sat in his patrol unit with his radio
mic in his hand. A 7mm rifle bullet struck the officer in the left side of
the face, killing him instantly. When state police officer Chris Valdez arrived at the scene, Eloy and another witness told him that two officers had been shot. As backup officers arrived, Abeyta made his escape and remained in hiding. Law enforcement officers from numerous agencies and state police officers from all around New Mexico converged on the area, to assist in the search for Ricky Abeyta, the mass murderer. As Abeyta cowered in hiding, he became worried officers would choose to kill him rather than take him into custody. After a few days of hiding, Abeyta, with members of his family, turned himself into the state police office in Albuquerque. He was given 4 life sentences for the many lives he ended and was subsequently moved to a prison in Texas for his safety. Glen was buried in the Santa Fe National Cemetery with full military and police honors. His funeral procession stretched over 10 miles, indicative of the level of support and respect he earned from other law enforcement agencies and the citizens he served so well. Glen was survived by his wife and two daughters.
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