Judge rejects plea deal in Aztec officer-shooting case

A San Juan County judge refused to accept a plea deal for Fernando Leon Silva, 42, of Aztec, in a case that alleges he fired an AR-15-style rifle at a New Mexico State Police officer during a Farmington traffic stop. 11th Judicial District Judge Curtis Gurley made the ruling on June 5 and set the case for a bench trial in August, sending a clear signal that the court was not willing to treat the shooting as a routine negotiated plea.

The case stems from an Aug. 19, 2024, stop near West 30th Street and Pinon Hills Boulevard, where officer Andrew Blea tried to pull over a black Chrysler 300 driven by Silva. Investigators say Silva got out with an AR-15-style rifle and fired more than 50 rounds. Blea’s vehicle was hit at least once, including the tailgate and front driver’s side tire, but Blea was not struck and was able to turn away and avoid being hit.

Investigators recovered 49 .223-caliber casings and one 5.56-caliber casing. Court records say Silva then fled west on N.M. 170 at speeds of up to 120 mph before he was arrested the next day, Aug. 20, 2024, by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service near Panorama Heights Road and County Roads 3100/3180. Jail records show he was booked into the San Juan County Detention Center at 9:28 p.m. that evening.

Silva originally faced five felony counts and a misdemeanor failure-to-appear charge, including attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault upon a peace officer, shooting at or from a motor vehicle and two counts of aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer. In September 2024, he was arraigned and pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors later said the rejected plea deal would have allowed Silva to plead to one felony count while four others were dismissed. Deputy district attorney Terry Walker called the proposed deal a “clerical error,” and chief deputy district attorney Gary Risley said the dismissed counts would have been four felony charges.

The case grew more serious after deputies went to Silva’s home and found a decomposing body identified as Carlos Silva, his uncle. Deputies also found additional rifles, ammunition and suspected bomb-making materials, though Sheriff Shane Ferrari said there was no bomb. Gurley later cited the body and the weapons when he ordered Silva held pending trial, and in September 2025 he committed Silva to the state mental hospital after finding he posed a serious threat. The officer-shooting case now moves toward an August trial under a judge who has already shown he is unwilling to let the most serious allegations be pared back without scrutiny.