Ordnance Explosion Update: Injured women, men visited Socorro scrap yard often

Authorities say two women and two other people were picking up scrap metal on or near U.S Army property when an unexploded device went off last Saturday.

ABC-7 has confirmed one of the women reportedly had a sales receipt from a scrap yard in Socorro.

That’s why federal investigators are focusing on the Lucero Scrap yard on the 10700 block of Alameda. Several suspect devices were detonated there on Sunday, including a barrel the two injured women reportedly and a man left there Saturday morning just hours before the explosion sent them to the hospital.

On Monday, ABC-7 learned the women hurt — who are mother and daughter — are regulars at Lucero Scrap and it’s something they did together as a family. Dad, whose name is still unknown, also played a role. ABC-7 spoke with a cashier at Lucero Scrap on Monday who said all three go there all the time.

“They pay like for pounds, depends on how much they’re offering,” said Mike Salas, who often brings scrap metals to Lucero Scrap in Socorro for extra cash. “I brought some copper tubing, some faucets and some cans. Almost a hundred dollars (worth of metals).”

The cashier at Lucero Scrap did not want to be identified, but told ABC-7 the man whose wife and daughter were injured in that explosion near Mcgregor Ranger over the weekend came to the scrap yard on Saturday morning and sold some scrap metal to them.

“He’s a regular customer and most of the times what he brings in is steel,” the cashier said. “Every week is different, depends on how much he brings. In a week it’s probably like $150 total.”

“The bottom line is we have signs posted, English and in Spanish, that basically tell people stay out of this area,” said Lt. Col. Lee Peters, a spokesman for Fort Bliss, who pointed out many areas of the military reservation are off limits. “Anything that has Fort Bliss impact training area, impact range area, is a dangerous place. You shouldn’t be out there.”

The cashier at Lucero Scrap told ABC-7 they must ask for identification and vehicle information including license plate numbers when collecting copper, aluminum and brass. But all other metals are drop and collect.

“We know if it’s something that’s military, it’s a no-no,” the cashier said. “It’s not worth it. We have all kinds of customers and its two or three dollars sometimes, just to be collecting stuff its a risk for their lives? It’s not worth it.”

The cashier also told ABC-7 if they won’t accept something at Lucero Scrap, she knows other scrap metals businesses in El Paso County will. It’s something she said she knows happens “all the time.”