Volunteer Firefighters Charged With Beating, Robbing Horizon City Teen

Two volunteer firefighters are under fire themselves, accused of robbing and beating up a Horizon City teenager Friday night.

Brothers Jorge Sandoval and Martin Soto-Sandoval, volunteers with the Socorro Fire Department, along with another brother, Alejandro Soto-Sandoval, have been charged with violent robbery. Two other men, Omar Rivera and Jerry Carbajal, were also arrested and charged with the same charge on Friday.

The alleged robbery took place on the 1200 block of Colina de Oro street. Sheriff’s Deputy Jesse Tovar said deputies were initially called out to the scene at around 10:30 p.m. to investigate a fight.

According to a Sheriff’s Office news release, witnesses said five men in a green Jeep Cherokee began trying to pick a fight. Most of the witnesses were able to run away, but they say a 19-year-old friend was unable to escape.

Deputies then started searching for the green Jeep Cherokee and found the vehicle and all five men in a stretch of desert behind Timothy Drive. Inside the car they found the 19-yea-old victim’s wallet and emergency services radio’s and pagers belonging to the volunteer firefighters. Tovar said the men also could have used the equipment to try to avoid arrest.

“It’s unknown whether they were using the radio’s, but they could have been listening to our transmissions. They knew where we were coming from if they were utilizing them,” he said.

After arresting the five alleged suspects, deputies found the victim badly beaten and swollen at his home. According to the news release, the victim told deputies that his attackers had used beer bottles and rocks to strike him. The attackers also allegedly struck the victim with a brick across the face. At one point, the release states the victim acted as if he were dead so the attackers would leave him alone.

Socorro residents were shocked to hear about the charges against the volunteer firefighters.

“I don’t know it’s just really bad for our community, it just disappoints me,” said Nancy Gaytan.

Socorro Fire Department Chief Enrique Magallanes told ABC-7 the Sandoval brothers are suspended from the department while charges are pending.

People at the department could not directly comment on the incident, but said volunteer firefighters risk their lives every day to help the community.