‘He's a fighter': Family describes Bloomfield officer fighting for life after traffic stop shooting
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico police officer is still fighting for his life after getting shot during a traffic stop in Bloomfield. Bloomfield police Officer Timothy Ontiveros was transported from San Juan County Tuesday afternoon to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. Many of Timothy Ontiveros's family members have come from out of town to support him in the hospital.
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KRQE News 13 spoke with his sister, who described him as a fighter. 'He'd give you the shirt off his back. He would help anybody on the road. He saw someone on the side of the road, he's going to stop, whether it's money, food, shoes. That's the kind of kid Timothy is,' said Sierra Sanchez, sister of Officer Ontiveros.
She is in town from Texas, as her little brother fights for his life. Ontiveros has been undergoing surgeries at UNMH after getting shot in the neck and shoulder. 'He's bullheaded. He will fight. I promise you, he'll fight to the very end because that's who he's always been,' said Sanchez.
Bloomfield police department said on Monday night, Officer Ontiveros pulled over 58-year-old Dennis Armenta, who then shot him. Another officer at the scene shot and killed that driver. 'I know if it was me in that hospital and him out here, he'd be strong for me. So, I've got to be strong for him,' said Sanchez.
Ontiveros is originally from Texas and moved to New Mexico, where he now lives with his two daughters, 17 and four years old. 'He would move heaven and earth for those two little girls,' said Sanchez. Ontiveros works as a volunteer firefighter in Aztec and was a police officer in Farmington before getting a job with Bloomfield PD, where he's worked for the last six months.
His family said he takes great pride in working for law enforcement. 'He was doing what he loved. Like, I don't know if he would have it any other way. Like he was protecting and serving, and that's all we could ask for him,' said Sanchez.
Ontiveros has undergone multiple surgeries and is stable but in critical condition.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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