The Bloomfield Police Department announced Sunday on its Facebook page that officer Timothy Ontiveros, who was shot during a traffic stop on May 26, has died.
As the Bloomfield Police Department mourns his death, other law enforcement agencies in the region have stepped up to help with police calls in Bloomfield.
“Officer Ontiveros was a valued member of the Bloomfield Police Department,” Bloomfield Police Chief Phillip Francisco said in the Facebook post. “In his short time with the agency, he demonstrated kindness, professionalism, and dedication to the safety of the community he served.”
The Farmington Police Department, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico State Police agreed to handle calls in Bloomfield this weekend and perhaps longer, while officers mourned the loss, Francisco said.
“The officers are grieving and having a hard time,” Francisco said, adding many officers planned to visit Ontiveros in Albuquerque. According to Francisco, Ontiveros was first treated at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington until he could be flown to Albuquerque on Tuesday morning.
“In Albuquerque, despite multiple surgeries and tireless efforts from medical staff made for his survival and recovery, Officer Ontiveros passed away as a result of his injuries on Sunday,” Francisco said in the announcement.
Ontiveros, 32, has been with the department since December 2024 and was previously with the Farmington Police Department. He also is a volunteer firefighter with the Aztec Fire Department.
According to Francisco, the deadly encounter began after Dennis Armenta, 58, declined to lower his window or provide ID to Ontiveros during a traffic stop. After more than eight minutes of negotiation, officers attempted to arrest Armenta for concealing his identity.
Officers tried to gain access to the locked vehicle by breaking a window, and Armenta then fired a handgun, striking Ontiveros and narrowly missing another officer. Another officer on scene returned fire, killing Armenta, who has a criminal record, according to New Mexico courts.
“This is a very emotional time for all law enforcement here in the Four Corners,” said Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe.
Hebbe said his department heard Bloomfield Police were struggling, so “we joined in and agreed to cover shifts for them.”
“We’ve had others help us out. We’re very proud to help out,” Hebbe said.
“We’re a law enforcement family no matter if you wear a badge or a star,” Sheriff Shane Ferrari said, adding he knows how much the Bloomfield Police Department is hurting.
Ferrari added that he has deputies who attended the academy with Ontiveros and his department had a “need to find out where we can help.”
The help came in the way of giving Bloomfield Police “some time to be together and go through this mourning process,” Ferrari said, adding “we absolutely want to help out our partners.”
The Aztec Fire Department helped out with a fundraiser for Ontiveros. A Frito Pie luncheon was scheduled noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Aztec Senior Center, 101 S. Park Ave. All proceeds go to Ontiveros.
A GoFundMe page was set up to support Ontiveros' family. Funeral arrangements have not been released.
Debra Mayeux and Trent Stephens contributed to this article. It was updated June 2 to include the full name of Dennis Armenta.
