Bosque Farms Council Fires Police Lieutenant Following Criminal Indictment

A criminal indictment ended Lieutenant Ricky Dominguez's career with the Bosque Farms Police Department after the village council voted unanimously at a special meeting to uphold the personnel board's recommendation and terminate him. The council's action formalized what the personnel board had already determined: Dominguez could not remain on the force.

The Dominguez termination was not the only personnel blow to hit the small Valencia County department. In a separate action, the council voted 3-0 to discharge Chief Paul Linson at a special meeting Tuesday night. Councilor Bryan Burks made the motion, Councilor Ronita Wood seconded it, and Councilor Rick Goshorn joined them in voting to remove Linson. Councilor Bill Kennedy was absent.

Linson had spent his entire career with the Bosque Farms Police Department, joining as a patrolman in 2014 and working his way up through the ranks before being appointed chief in October 2018. More than a dozen residents and fellow officers packed the special meeting to speak on his behalf.

Officer Joe Harris offered some of the sharpest testimony in Linson's defense. "He put the department first and foremost, and provided the village and Peralta with the best service possible," Harris said. "The only reason we have the officers we do now is because of Paul."

The reaction inside the department cut deeper still. Sgt. Marilyn Rodriguez tendered her resignation upon learning Linson would be terminated. "My dedication to our department and this village is because of the phenomenal leader that Paul Linson is," Rodriguez said. "He has created a department of diversity, progress and proactivity. I am very appalled at the way he is being let go. He didn't get to say goodbye to the department he built."

The unnamed mayor told the council he intends to conduct a full search for Linson's replacement. "We will search for the best candidate," he said. "We will take as much time as we need."

The specific charges underlying Dominguez's indictment have not been made public in available records. Court documents from the Thirteenth Judicial District Court in Valencia County, which would govern any such action under the village's legal agreements, have not yet been obtained. The personnel board's recommendation, termination letters, and special meeting minutes remain outstanding public records in this investigation.