Lordsburg police officer arrested for DWI after crashing, fleeing scene in Hidalgo County

A Lordsburg police officer is facing a DWI arrest after Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies say he crashed near the Pilot Travel Center on Motel Drive, walked away from the scene and tried to hide from them.

Deputies responded in the early morning hours of April 27 and were told a driver had crashed and left on foot. Body-camera video shows a deputy driving through the area, spotting the driver walking in the median and then watching him run again when the patrol vehicle pulled in front of him. Deputies later found him hiding behind a sign. He was identified at the scene as Iram Hernandez, a member of the Lordsburg Police Department. Joseph Marquez was identified as the deputy who responded.

The video account raises immediate questions about impairment and public confidence in a small-law-enforcement agency. Deputies said they smelled alcohol, and Hernandez reportedly had slurred speech and watery eyes. He denied drinking and said the car was not his, but refused sobriety testing and did not cooperate with directions. After he was arrested, lapel video captured him cursing at officers.

Investigators later said evidence suggested the vehicle jumped the median, struck a yield sign and left the scene. Deputies also found bottles of alcohol inside the car. Hernandez was charged with DWI, careless driving and criminal damage to property. Under New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division rules, refusing a chemical test can trigger a one-year license revocation for a first offense.

The arrest also puts a spotlight on how the Lordsburg Police Department handles misconduct allegations inside its own ranks. The department lists Rodney Plowman as chief, and the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office says Sheriff William Chadborn is the commander of that office and is ultimately responsible for employee decisions. In a case involving one of Lordsburg’s own officers, residents will be watching to see whether Hernandez is placed on administrative leave, whether an internal investigation is opened and whether any discipline follows.

That scrutiny is sharper in a town of about 2,143 people with an estimated 11 full-time officers. A single case can ripple quickly through a department that small, especially when it involves a crash near one of the city’s busiest travel stops.

The arrest also comes after another Lordsburg DWI episode already drew outside attention in 2023, when then-Mayor Glenda Greene was let go during a stop and the New Mexico State Ethics Commission later reached a settlement. For Hidalgo County, the question now is not only what happened on Motel Drive, but whether the rules applied to Hernandez will match the rules ordinary drivers face every day.