Rico TreShon Dukes, who has been charged with impersonating a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputy, is also facing charges for allegedly carrying a deadly weapon on school property.
Dukes is charged with unlawfully carrying a gun while on the Volcano Vista campus while pretending to be a BCSO deputy, according to KOB 4 Eyewitness News.
“He impersonated an officer in a manner that was predatory, menacing, and dangerous to the community, Rob Hart, the prosecutor, said. “(This was) most recently demonstrated when he brought his fake persona and a firearm to the Volcano Vista High School campus.”
The state presented four witnesses at the pretrial detention hearing to testify Dukes had school officials on edge.
“I quickly got a hold of my administrator, my supervisor, and sent the information and spoke to her about what I knew,” Volcano Vista Principal, Melissa Sedilllo, said.
Albuquerque Public Schools Police Sgt., Chris Griego, said when he arrived at the school, he found Dukes in the nurse's office.
“It was pretty brief,” Griego said. “I got introduced to him, we made short talk for a little bit. I just asked where his area command was, (and) what shift he worked. He answered those questions slowly, but he answered them.”
Attorneys for Dukes admitted their client was on campus but did not act in a dangerous or erratic manner.
“It’s childish, and it’s sad, but it’s not dangerous,” Sam Ashman, a defense attorney, said. “You heard from Sgt. Griego who was present when he was at the high school, and nobody was in fear.”
Hart disagreed and said Dukes has a habit of pretending to be a law enforcement officer referencing posts Dukes made on social media where he posed as a deputy.
“This man is delusion, he is dangerous, and he is predatory towards women and vulnerable populations,” Hart said.
The judge ruled there was enough evidence to hold Dukes without bond until his trial.
