Farmington teen faces felony case after guard assault at Albuquerque facility

A Farmington teen held on a San Juan County juvenile case now faces a new felony charge after prosecutors said he helped beat a corrections officer at Albuquerque’s Youth Development Diagnostic Center.

Justice Sanchez, 18, was charged with aggravated battery upon a peace officer after the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office said he took part in the assault with two other 18-year-olds, Adrian Brown and Ezekiel Ulibarri, both of Albuquerque. The case was filed as a fourth-degree felony, a charge that moves the matter into adult criminal court proceedings while prosecutors pursue detention.

The assault happened inside the Youth Development Diagnostic Center, the state juvenile facility at 4000 Edith Blvd. NE in Albuquerque run by the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department. CYFD says the center can hold male and female clients for commitment periods of up to one year, up to two years, or up to age 21, and it also serves as a receiving facility for court-ordered diagnostic evaluations.

The corrections officer suffered injuries that were described in reporting as non-life-threatening, though prosecutors said the officer was seriously hurt. The district attorney’s office said the three defendants had been housed at the juvenile facility for crimes they were accused of committing as minors and later were transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center after turning 18.

That detail has made the case especially significant in San Juan County, where Sanchez’s underlying juvenile case began. It shows how a local juvenile matter can quickly shift from county court to state custody and then into a new felony case once a defendant turns 18. For families moving through the juvenile system, the case underscores how quickly the stakes can change when a minor becomes an adult while still under state supervision.

Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman has argued that housing adults with much younger teens in juvenile facilities can create a dangerous environment for staff and for the younger detainees themselves. Prosecutors said they will seek pretrial detention as the case moves forward, a step that will determine whether the defendants remain in custody while the felony case proceeds.

The assault and the new charge add another flash point to New Mexico’s broader debate over juvenile crime and detention policy, with this case now tying Farmington, San Juan County and Albuquerque to the same system breakdown.