Disclaimer: This article contains information about a criminal act and may be distressing for some readers. Please read at your own discretion.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
Sara Montoya, manager of 66 Diner, shared her frightening experience when a homeless man punched her in the face in broad daylight on Saturday.
“I let him know I was calling the cops. I opened the door, and he didn’t say anything, and I was looking down at my phone to dial 242-cops, and he just punched me in the face,” Montoya recounted.
Employees at the diner said this wasn’t an isolated incident. The man has repeatedly vandalized, trashed, and obstructed their business.
“He is mentally unstable. He’s clearly not in his right mind,” stated Summer Willis, the owner of 66 Diner.
Willis identified the man as Michael Garcia. Albuquerque police arrested Garcia on Saturday, but he was released on recognizance, meaning the courts are trusting the 47-year-old to appear for a court date.
“To be able to release him to make his own decisions when he does things like what he did here yesterday? I don’t understand that,” Willis expressed.
According to the source, Willis praised the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) for their swift response and did not blame them for Garcia’s release.
“APD was fantastic,” Willis said. “They showed up. They did what they were allowed to do.”
Despite the help from APD, Willis stressed the need for action to prevent further disruptions caused by homelessness.
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“I want to talk to you guys to make it clear that this issue is closing businesses, and now we’re looking at possibly not being able to stay operational because the people that are just around here can get away with whatever,” Willis emphasized.
The city of Albuquerque is aware of the incident and is reaching out to the diner to see what can be done.