Confession in Tucumcari vet clinic fire that killed 70 animals – Albuquerque Journal

................................................................

The break in the long-standing probe came to light after the Quay County Sun made an open-records request to New Mexico State Police on the 71-page investigative report it submitted to Rose in June.

Tucumcari Fire Chief Mike Cherry, left center, speaks with state fire marshal investigator Sammy Anaya after a fire burned Tucumcari Animal Hospital and killed more than 70 animals in May 2012. (Eastern New Mexico News)

Implicated in the report was Kevin Ronnie Garcia, 28, of Tucumcari. When the Quay County Sun contacted Garcia on Friday to ask him about the report, he acknowledged setting the fire as a spur-of-the-moment thing, but he said his memories of that night were fuzzy because hed been drinking.

Garcia is awaiting adjudication on felony counts of false imprisonment and possession of a stolen vehicle, along with other charges, that were filed in December and April. He has been released on his own recognizance and is wearing a GPS ankle monitor. His next court date is in September.

According to online court records, Garcia has had run-ins with the law since 2009, mostly moving violations or misdemeanors.

The blaze at Tucumcari Animal Hospital on the citys north side was reported at 3:54 a.m. May 21, 2012.

Dr. Jean Corey, the longtime veterinarian at the clinic, arrived at the scene shortly after Tucumcari firefighters.

They didnt want me to go inside, Corey recalled Saturday during an interview in the Tucumcari Animal Hospitals new home in a rented office trailer next to the burned remnants of the old building. But I went in and tried the best I could to save some of them, get some of them out that we could.

One dog Corey rescued from a kennel in the burning building died a few days later.

Corey said that when she finally accounted for all the animal deaths from the fire, the total was more than 70. All died of smoke inhalation.

She said most of the pets that died were dogs and cats, but the fire also claimed two birds, a rabbit and a tankful of fish.

Corey said she had kept several abandoned animals as her own at the clinic, but the one she was fondest of was Blue, a blue-gray cat.

He was the clinic cat, she said. He was everybodys favorite.

Blue perished in the fire.

Investigators found a trail of blood leading from a broken window at the clinic where a burglar apparently gained entry and cut himself. State Police took several samples of the blood and submitted them to the state DNA database.

State fire marshal investigator Sammy Anaya said in his report that several windows were broken to hasten the fires spread. He stated someone poured an ignitable liquid on the office furniture and trash cans and set them afire in an office area.

The State Police report said officers checked into several possible suspects. It said one name stood out Garcias. Garcia refused a State Police request to submit a DNA sample, the report said, and he never was charged in connection with the fire.

In December, Garcia was arrested in Tucumcari after being accused of receiving stolen property and unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon. Because one of the charges was a felony, he was required to submit to a DNA swab that would be forwarded to the states DNA database.

State Police said they learned in March that Garcias DNA was a match for DNA found at the animal hospital fire in 2012.

In April, Garcia was taken to the State Police office in Tucumcari for questioning, and police executed a search warrant to obtain new DNA from him.

Garcia initially denied his role with the fire and insisted someone was trying to frame him.

When told Garcias DNA and no one elses was found at the scene, he confessed to starting the fire, records show.

Honestly, what happened was I was messed up on coke and drunk and broke in, Garcia said, according to the report.

Asked why he broke into the animal clinic, he said probably just money or whatever.

Honestly, I just broke in because I wanted some money for some more bud (marijuana) and beer, Garcia said.

Read more here:
Confession in Tucumcari vet clinic fire that killed 70 animals - Albuquerque Journal