NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A man serving federal time for the gun he used to shoot a New Mexico State Police officer has new charges in the case, this time at the state level. Caleb Elledge pleaded guilty to a firearm and was sentenced to nine years stemming from a shooting in February of 2022 of an NMSP officer. Last month, he was indicted locally.
In 2022, Officer Jeremy Vaughan was chasing a car driven by Alana Martienz with Elledge in the passenger seat. After the car was stopped, Elledge opened fire. Officer Vaughan survived.
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Durning Elledge’s pretrial detention hearing Friday morning, the state asked that he be held behind bars until trial. His attorney argued that would be unfair. “The state had filed it at the state level. They had nolled it, indicating the feds would take it. The feds did in fact take the case. Mr. Elledge entered into a plea and his understanding was that it would not be pursued at the state level,” said Stefanie Gulley.
The prosecution responded with “The federal government prosecuted the gun charge, the felon in possession gun charge. No other charges were prosecuted because they don’t have jurisdiction.”
They argued that Elledge was already locked up on federal charges. Judge Cindy Leos granted the state’s motion. As for the driver, Alana Martinez, she pleaded guilty to harboring or aiding a felon. Martinez was sentenced to six months probation which she completed in October.