McKinley County deputies seek woman wanted in child abuse case

McKinley County deputies asked the public to watch for Maria Betty Holbert, who the sheriff’s office said is wanted for questioning in an ongoing child sexual abuse case and has warrants in two states. The search effort was based in Gallup, where the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office has been circulating the warning as part of an active effort to locate her.

Holbert’s case has drawn local attention because the warrants stretch beyond New Mexico, raising the stakes for deputies working the case in McKinley County. The sheriff’s office has identified her by name as Maria Betty Holbert and said she should be considered wanted in connection with the child sexual abuse investigation. No further details about the underlying allegations were included in the public notice that prompted the search.

Residents who see Holbert or have information about where she is were asked to call 505-863-1410. The sheriff’s office also lists Metro Dispatch at 505-722-2002 for contact if she is located or contact is made. The McKinley County Sheriff’s Office is based in Gallup at 1000 East Aztec Ave., placing the search squarely within the county’s main law-enforcement hub.

Deputies have not released a broader public description in the information circulating with the alert, but the message is straightforward: Holbert is wanted for questioning, and the search involves warrants in two states. In a county where deputies regularly work across a wide geographic area that includes Gallup and surrounding communities, that kind of multistate warrant status can quickly turn a local investigation into a regional law-enforcement concern.