Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
FORT SUMNER — A woman was charged Monday with arson and two counts of attempted murder in De Baca County and meanwhile arrested in Curry County on dozens of felony forgery accounts.
Carlene Prado-Espinosa, 32, is one of “a lot of people involved” in the investigation of a Sept. 13 fire at a residence on the 600 block of Hemstreet Avenue in Fort Sumner, according to 10th Judicial District Attorney Tim Rose.
She was charged Monday with three second-degree felonies: one for arson (over $20,000) and two for attempted murder in the first degree due to the residents at or near the scene at the time, according to court records.
Prado-Espinosa was also charged with misdemeanor injuring/tampering with a motor vehicle, with investigators noting “the word ‘DIE’ was carved in to the front passenger door of the car” of the property owner, according to a probable cause statement.
One of the alleged victims told investigators that “right before Carlene left she said, ‘If you want to contact me call 666,’” records show.
Prado-Espinosa remained Tuesday in the Curry County jail pending a court hearing yet to be scheduled. She was charged Aug. 26 in the 9th Judicial District with 39 fourth-degree felony counts and one misdemeanor drug charge following an investigation early that month.
Prado-Espinosa allegedly conspired with an unidentified man who “printed several fake denominations of money inside her house” in Clovis. Investigators charged her with forgery for the alleged production of $1,770 in counterfeit bills (35 $50 bills and one $20 bill) and with fraud for using them Aug. 7 to purchase six money orders at local Allsups.
Court records did not list an attorney representing Prado-Espinosa as of Tuesday. She is expected to be arraigned Monday afternoon in De Baca County.