FARMINGTON, N.M. — A lawsuit filed in San Juan County accuses Sheriff Shane Ferrari and his office of failing to enforce New Mexico’s red flag law, which attorneys say could have prevented the death of 19-year-old Aeriel Gallegos.
Gallegos was killed in November 2023 by her boyfriend, Manuel Weahkee, who then took his own life. Court records show Gallegos had documented abuse and secured a 20-year restraining order two months before the shooting. Attorneys argue deputies contacted her several times but never sought a gun removal order under the state’s Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Act.
Ferrari has publicly opposed the law since its passage in 2020, calling it unconstitutional and saying civil orders shouldn’t involve SWAT teams. The lawsuit names Ferrari, two deputies, and the San Juan County Commission, seeking damages under the New Mexico Civil Rights Act and Tort Claims Act. Any award would benefit Gallegos’ two-year-old daughter.
The county declined to comment on pending litigation. It’s unclear if the Sheriff’s Office has changed its enforcement practices since Gallegos’ death.
