Woman settles with city

A Las Vegas woman who claimed a police officer dragged her after informing her that she was violating a restraining order has settled a lawsuit with the city.Panchita Maes Alirez’s attorney, Stephen Peterson of Taos, said his client has received $8,500 in return for dropping her lawsuit against the city. “My client was satisfied with the result. It was a long, difficult ordeal,” he said. City Attorney Matt Sandoval didn’t have any comment in the matter. Such lawsuits are handled by the New Mexico Municipal League’s insurance fund. In a recent list of accomplishments, the city stated that the number of lawsuits involving the Police Department has dropped, but it has yet to provide any supporting documentation. Alirez claimed in her lawsuit that she suffered injuries to her left shoulder, arm, rib and hand as a result of being grabbed, dragged and then slammed on the hood of her car on Feb. 6, 2005. According to the lawsuit, which was filed Jan. 19, 2007, the original statement of probable cause claimed that she was arrested as a result of District Court paperwork. But the lawsuit claimed that no such paperwork had been produced and that Alirez believes that no such paperwork or restraining order ever existed from any court. The listed charges were violation of a restraining order, disorderly conduct, and resisting or refusing to obey an officer, the lawsuit states. According to the lawsuit, a jury trial was held on the charges of resisting an officer and disorderly conduct, which resulted in not-guilty verdicts. The lawsuit stated that Officer Joseph Santillanes stopped outside Alirez’s house after she returned from church and just before her family was getting ready to attend a post-baptismal family gathering. Santillanes told Alirez that she was under arrest for a restraining order and then he dragged her to a spot near her car, twisting her left arm and shoulder in the process, the lawsuit states. Santillanes and Cpl. Gilbert Martinez raised her off the ground and slammed her head against the hood of her car, according to the lawsuit. She was handcuffed. According to the lawsuit, when Alirez asked to speak to the police chief, the officers told her that more charges would be filed and that no one would believe her because they were officers. The Police Department’s report told another version of what happened. According to documents, police officers showed up after a neighbor reported that Alirez was cursing at her and entered her yard. The report stated that the neighbor’s son was afraid of Alirez and didn’t want to ride his bike because of her. Police said Alirez wouldn’t put her arms behind her back so she could be handcuffed.She yelled and screamed and wouldn’t put her legs in a police car, the report states. According to documents, a bench warrant was out for Alirez’s arrest because she allegedly failed to pay fines in connection with a charge of concealing her identity.