Arnold Botello, the man suspected of killing two deer in Alamosa city limits, told law enforcement he killed only one of the deer, and did so with a crossbow. According to the arrest affidavit obtained by Alamosa Citizen, the deer were killed at the intersection of River Drive and Diamond Drive, and on Tremont Street.
The affidavit was submitted by Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer Leon Martinez. In the document, he details his investigation over the course of the weekend.
The first call came in just before 7:00 p.m. on Sept. 15 by a resident who saw a deer dying in the middle of the street.
Martinez details a brief canvass of the neighborhood where he was able to gather footage from front doorbell cameras in the neighborhood. That footage, he wrote, captured a dark colored Dodge Charger with tinted windows and a temporary tag driving down the street. The car slows down then the deer “abruptly jumps in the air and runs across the street.” The deer fell on the ground and the car drove in the opposite direction.
This deer was later taken for a necropsy, where Martinez and CPW Officer Tyler Cerny were able to determine that the deer had been shot with a broadhead crossbow bolt, which passed completely through the deer’s body. During the morning of Saturday, Sept. 16, CPW Officers Martinez and Cerny recovered the crossbow bolt at a house near where the deer was killed. The bolt “possibly hit the house in the act,” Martinez said.
On top of the footage, Martinez said he was able to gather photographs of Botello purchasing bolts and broadheads at Wal-Mart on Sept. 15. The information, footage, and photographs were then sent to the Alamosa Police Department, Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office, and Colorado State Patrol for the purpose to “stop and hold” the suspect.
Just before midnight on Sept. 16, Alamosa police told Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer Brian Bechaver that they had stopped the suspect’s vehicle. Martinez was then alerted and arrived shortly after where they were able to identify and detain Botello. Officers also recovered a crossbow from the vehicle.
Bechaver was on Tremont Street investigating a second deer that had also been shot with a crossbow. Once Bechaver arrived, he was told by Botello’s girlfriend “that Botello shot the deer in town earlier.”
Botello was taken to the Alamosa Police Department where he underwent a 46-minute interview with CPW and APD officers.
In the interview, Martinez said, Botello told officers “that he did shoot the mule deer” on Diamond Drive on Sept. 15, but did not shoot the deer on Tremont St. on Sept. 16.
“He mentioned the reason he wanted to kill an animal is because he had never killed an animal before and he wanted to take it home,” Martinez said in the affidavit. Botello then said he “got scared” after shooting the deer due to the amount of traffic in the neighborhood.
Botello has been bonded out and will appear in court on Oct. 3.
Sept. 18, 2023
One person arrested after allegedly killing two deer in Alamosa
One person was arrested after allegedly killing two deer within the Alamosa city limits over the weekend, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Arnold Botello, 32, was arrested just after midnight on Sunday, Sept. 17, and booked into Alamosa County Jail and Detention Center. He had an advisement hearing in 12th Judicial District Court on Monday afternoon on the charges he faces.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said it received reports of two deer which were illegally killed over the course of two days, on Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. CPW wildlife officers were able to identify the vehicle involved through security camera footage. The footage also revealed the suspect.
Botello faces multiple charges, including destruction of big game wildlife, illegal possession of big game, hunting in a careless manner, and hunting from a moving vehicle among other charges, according to 12th Judicial District advisement clerk James Stewart.
If found guilty and convicted, Botello could be fined upward of $20,000, lose all privileges of hunting in the state, and serve time in jail, according to the Colorado Revised Statutes.
Botello is scheduled to be back in court on Oct. 3.
“We have a suspect in custody in this case thanks to the outstanding teamwork between our wildlife officers and the Alamosa Police Department. The partnering assistance of APD is greatly appreciated by CPW,” said John Livingston, CPW southwest region public information officer.