IN THE NEWS

Prosecutors want serious consequences for 17-year-old Dominic Sena after he allegedly stole a car at gunpoint and led police on a chase that ended in two crashes. Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman plans to charge Sena as a “youthful offender,” which means he would be charged as an adult.

Crime in Albuquerque affects everyone. That was part of the sentiment shared during a town hall last week that focused on crime in Bernalillo County and what should be done to prevent it. The panel featured state Attorney General Raúl Torrez, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman and Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen.

They may not yet be able to gather in the same room, but it’s encouraging to see New Mexico’s law enforcement and political leaders finally coalescing around getting tough on crime.

Teenagers and gun violence have been an alarming problem in Albuquerque. In these past few months, there have been two shootings that have happened at Coronado Center at the hands of a teenager. Both county leaders and a program manager for the violence intervention program say it's important to address this issue early on.

Metro agencies are clearing warrants by the hundreds each week and they’re using state funding to do it. However, that clearance sometimes comes with a catch because new offenses can outweigh the progress. When Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman looks at some of the people recently arrested on outstanding warrants, he sees disrespect.

Leaders in law enforcement and criminal justice gathered to answer questions and ponder fixes to public safety Wednesday in an auditorium of the African American Performing Arts Center. The two-hour town hall, put on through a partnership between the Journal, KOAT-TV and radio station KKOB, hosted a panel of Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, Sheriff John Allen and state Attorney General Raúl Torrez.

An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. This case was adopted from state prosecution in cooperation with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

This week on the New Mexico News Podcast, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman joins Chris & Gabby to discuss why he had to drop so many cases, and how his office is addressing public trust issues in the criminal justice system. Bregman also shares why he believes the prosecution of DWI cases overall, is improving.

Folks in South Valley took their concerns straight to the sheriff and district attorney Wednesday night...KOB 4 caught up with Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman before Wednesday night’s discussion started. He says it’s all about getting everyone on the same page and keeping communication open.

South Valley residents brought their concerns about crime and public safety before Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen and 2nd Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman on Wednesday.

"...I can assure the public, the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office is steadfast when it comes to convicting drunk drivers. In the past year, we have had 1,279 DWI convictions."

According to Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, the operation led to 32 felony arrests, 24 misdemeanor arrests, the recovery of eight stolen cars, five firearms, 2,500 fentanyl pills, heroin, methamphetamines, and the safe return of a missing person.

Journalist Elise Kaplan of City Desk Albuquerque asks legal malpractice attorney and former state rep Daymon Ely about the information he passed along to federal agents from potential victims of an alleged scheme to get drunk driving cases tossed out of court.

On Wednesday, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman came to Washington Middle School where 13-year-old Bennie Hargrove was shot and killed by his classmate, Juan Saucedo Jr. just two years ago...

It has been an honor serving as your Bernalillo County district attorney and we have made tremendous strides in just one year in office. At a time when government agencies throughout New Mexico are struggling to hire staff, we have hired 45 attorneys and 42 support staff, bringing the total number of employees to nearly 300 people....

So when Highland High School students on Wednesday got a visit from a special guest — Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman — to talk about the perils and consequences of bringing guns to school campuses, Peralta found herself moved to tears...

"They want to do adult crimes; we're going to charge them as adults. I don't think we could prosecute our way out of this. We will prosecute anybody and everybody that has a gun on campus, but I think this is a community-wide issue." Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman...

District Attorney Sam Bregman, APD Chief of Police Harold Medina, and Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen say collaboration between the three agencies has never been better...

It was a packed gym Monday morning at Truman Middle School as Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman made the first of many school visits. “Would you all agree with me that there’s too much gun violence out there?” said Bregman...

The District Attorney has promised to keep prosecuting Albuquerque’s backlog of rape cases no matter how many years they stretch into the past and now they are taking on a more than 30-year-old case. In a rare decision, they’re still prosecuting it even though the victim is no longer alive...

This week on the New Mexico News Podcast, Chris McKee and Gabrielle Burkhart host Bregman to discuss the area’s crime problem, the changes he’s implementing, and how the DA’s office is measuring success...

“We are keeping more violent people behind bars pending trial,” said Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. “We’re making arguments about the safety of our community, and why this particular individual is posing a threat to the community. And I think it’s paying off and we’re seeing it in the numbers.”

KOB 4 spoke to DA Sam Bregman about their recent efforts to curb crime. “We have far too many people shoplifting in this community, we are going to prosecute every single one of them that we can. It is a priority for this office, for the sheriff, for the chief, it’s a priority for me,” said Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman...

In September, a district court judge sided with the ACLU, ruling the city of Albuquerque can no longer clean up homeless encampments on any public property, including parks. This week, Bregman filed an amicus brief asking the New Mexico Supreme Court to get involved.

Bregman, a former defense attorney who often represented law enforcement, said being an officer or deputy is the “hardest job in this country” and that law enforcement in Bernalillo County is working together better than ever...

The time when there are no consequences for shoplifting in Bernalillo County is coming to an end. Effective Sept. 1 of this year, the District Attorney’s Office will be entering its appearance in every shoplifting case, including all misdemeanors filed in Metropolitan Court...

While state lawmakers have made some moves to address shoplifting, the Bernalillo County district attorney says major changes are about to make a difference – even with the small-time thieves...

A jury convicted former APS teacher Danny Aldaz for molesting one of his students – a 7-year-old girl – in 2019. “I’m so proud of my Special Victims Unit, who prosecuted Aldaz. I look forward to this man spending a long time in prison,” said Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman...

Six months into the job as the top prosecutor in Bernalillo County, we don’t doubt Sam Bregman understands exactly how crime is gripping the Metro — violent crime, retail crime, property crime, staggering amounts of fentanyl and human smuggling, this list is daunting...

"We're grateful for these new laws. This constant retail crime must stop," Bregman said. "New Mexicans should be allowed to go shopping without being terrified. We're going to hold the people who commit these crimes accountable."...