Cop arrested, accused of criminal sexual penetration


By Regina Ruiz

MILAN, N.M. —A local police officer is facing serious charges after a night of drinking over Christmas took a disturbing turn, according to investigators.
Milan police Officer James Watters, 25, is accused of getting an underage woman drunk and forcing her to perform oral sex. The officer's mother swears her son is innocent.
"He goes, 'I promise, I promise.' He goes, 'This is my life, this is my job.' I don't know, I don't know what to think. This isn't James," Angela Hedrick said. "A part of me wants to have so much faith in James, but then something happened because why would he be in there?"
According to New Mexico State Police agents, it all happened Christmas Eve.
Watters, Grants Police Sgt. Jessie Nieto and Jessie Terrazaz -- a former court security officer for the Cibola County Sheriff's Department -- picked up a 20-year-old woman.
All four allegedly drove to Grants High School and drank alcohol.
The victim told investigators the men kept asking her to perform oral sex or possibly have a threesome or foursome. She told the men she didn't want to do it.
Agents said that at one point  the word rape was used and that's when Nieto asked to be taken home. They dropped him off, but investigators said the night didn't end there.
According to the statement of probable cause, the victim told police she was brought to the New Mexico State University Grants Campus, she was given more alcohol and told police she was sexually assaulted.
Investigators said Terrazaz made the woman sexually touch him and Watters then forced her to perform oral sex on him.
Both men spent Christmas Day giving their side of the story to state police and both ended up behind bars.
"I honestly feel that my son didn't do it. But, only time will tell. The truth will come out. That's what I am waiting for," Hedrick said.
Watters has been with the Milan Police Department for about five months. His mother tells Action 7 News before that he was a firefighter for about four years and has three small children.
As of Friday night, Watters was still behind bars.
The Cibola County Sheriff's Department said Terrazaz was fired from the department years ago for misconduct. It was related to a domestic violence incident.