An altercation between employees at a Taco Bell in Ruidoso, New Mexico, took a dangerous turn on National Taco Day when one worker brandished a handgun. The Ruidoso Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting an employee pulling a firearm on a colleague at the fast-food restaurant located at 26128 U.S. Highway 70.
Officers arrived at the scene around 4 p.m. and safely extracted three employees from the premises. “Officers were dispatched… to respond to a 911 call of an employee pulling a firearm on another employee,” the Ruidoso Police Department reported, as noted by KTSM. In a swift, coordinated effort involving the Ruidoso Police, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police, and officers from nearby Ruidoso Downs and Capitan, authorities worked together to defuse the situation.
Inside the restaurant, officers detained 34-year-old Mark Aragon, charging him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to KOB, an investigation revealed that a physical confrontation between two employees escalated, leading Aragon to brandish the handgun during the altercation.
Initial reports raised concerns that a shot may have been fired during the incident, but after investigating the scene, authorities confirmed that no shots were fired. The swift response by local and state law enforcement helped prevent further escalation. The El Paso Times highlighted the multi-agency collaboration, which was key to safely resolving the situation.
