BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – A man arrested for his seventh suspected DWI in February gave Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies an earful. Video shows the suspected drunk driver taunting deputies about the DWI corruption scheme, claiming he wouldn’t face any consequences.
BCSO lapel video and dash camera footage obtained by KRQE Investigates shows deputies pull over Carlos Crockett after seeing him veering across lanes near Menaul and Morningside in northeast Albuquerque. Deputies shout for the driver to, “Get out of the car. Put your hands on top of your head!”
Crockett is seen getting out of the vehicle with a bottle of liquor in hand and drops it on the ground. The report states Crockett had an open 750 ML bottle of Fireball.
“He’s got wet stuff on his crotch,” a deputy told his supervisor. “I don’t know if he peed himself or if it’s from the bottle, I’m not sure. But he’s super bloodshot.”
Suspecting he’s drunk, deputies ask if Crockett will submit to field sobriety tests. At first, Crockett agreed, then quickly changed his mind.
“I’m not consenting to nothing!” Crockett told deputies.
“You’re not gonna do the test? How much did you have to drink tonight, Carlos?” a deputy asked.
Crockett was arrested and charged with aggravated DWI 7th offense, driving with a revoked license, and failure to maintain a traffic lane. Deputies transported him to take a breathalyzer test, which they noted he also refused.
Taunting deputies over a DWI dismissal
That’s where Crockett taunted deputies, “You’re gonna be on the news. You’re gonna be Alba. Alba, I promise you.” He’s referring to one of his previous arresting officers, former Albuquerque Police Officer Honorio Alba Jr.
Alba arrested Crockett for a previous DWI offense in 2022, citing Crockett driving 100 miles per hour on I-40 near Eubank. Alba noted that Crockett had a bottle of whiskey and refused field sobriety tests.
But that DWI case was ultimately dismissed in December because Alba was no longer considered a credible witness in court. Alba later pled guilty to RICO conspiracy charges in federal court, admitting his part in a decades-long DWI corruption scheme where officers took bribes to make DWI cases disappear.
As a deputy tries to explain Crockett will lose his license to drive, Crockett responds, “It’s okay, I’ll get revoked. It’s okay; I’ll do all that just to beat you guys, and to show you guys that you guys are f***** up cops.”
“You’re highly intoxicated,” the deputy said. “Oh, I’m highly intoxicated, that’s what you’re gonna say. Alba. You’re gonna be Alba,” Crockett replied.
Despite Crockett’s confidence that he’d face no consequences, last month District Court Judge Lucy Solimon agreed to keep him in jail pending trial.
“It’s all good. I ain’t trippin’,” said Crockett. “I just won that case. I’ll win this case. Just do it again,” he told deputies the night of his arrest.
Crockett is currently at MCD. The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office said it will move forward with multiple felony charges against Crockett and hopes to keep him off the streets.
Crockett’s case with Alba that was dropped was one of 269 pending cases the District Attorney’s Office was forced to dismiss due to 11 officers being placed on the Giglio list, deeming those officers no longer credible witnesses in court.