An employee altercation at a Taco Bell in Ruidoso, New Mexico, escalated to a dangerous level when a handgun was involved on National Taco Day. The Ruidoso Police Department reported they were called to the fast-food chain located at 26128 U.S. Highway 70 following a 911 call about an employee brandishing a firearm at a colleague.
Upon their arrival at approximately 4 p.m., law enforcement officials were able to safely extract three employees from the premises. "Officers were dispatched... to respond to a 911 call of an employee pulling a firearm on another employee," as detailed by KTSM. The Ruidoso police, along with other agencies including the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, New Mexico State Police, and officers from nearby Ruidoso Downs and Capitan, swiftly coordinated to ensure no further harm would ensue.
Inside the establishment, officers located and detained 34-year-old Mark Aragon, charging him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. An investigation into the incident revealed that the confrontation between two employees turned physical, which subsequently led to one assaulting the other with a handgun, as KOB reports on the arrest and charges following the incident.
Initial reports suggested that a shot might have been fired during the altercation, heightening the concern and urgency among the responders. However, after investigating the scene, authorities confirmed that there "were no shots fired," according to KOB. The collaboration between local and state law enforcement was noted by the El Paso Times, underscoring the multi-agency response to the potentially violent situation.
