Press release: Inmate convicted of attempted murder in jail attack

Matthew Chandler, Ninth Judicial District Attorney, announced today that Guadalupe Urquizo, age 29, was found guilty of one (1) count of Attempted Murder, two (2) counts of Aggravated Battery upon a Peace Officer, and one (1) count of Possession of a Deadly Weapon by a Prisoner.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on October 24, 2008, when Guadalupe Urquizo, an inmate at the Curry County Detention Center began arguing with a detention officer and attempted to take a dispatch radio from the officer when they served him his food tray.

A few hours later, two detention officers attempted to retrieve the food tray from Urquizo’s cell, and Urquizo attacked the detention officers with a seven (7) inch long metal shank.

Multiple detention officers from the jail responded to assist in the attack and were able to restrain Urquizo shortly after the attack started.

The two officers involved in the altercation were transported to Plains Regional Medical Center and treated for injuries received during the attack.

The Honorable Judge Robert Orlik presided over the jury trial and Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrea Reeb prosecuted the case for the State of New Mexico.

The jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning with guilty verdicts of Attempted Murder, Possession of a Deadly Weapon by a Prisoner, and two counts of Aggravated Battery upon a Peace Officer.

A sentencing hearing will be set by the Court within the next ninety (90) days where the District Attorney’s Office will ask the Court to sentence Urquizo to the maximum sentence of twenty-four (24) years in the Department of Corrections for his convictions.

For further information concerning this case, please contact the Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office.