New Mexico State Police Respond to Stabbing Incident at Tinaja Rest Area in Colfax County

COLFAX COUNTY, NM – On April 14, 2024, at approximately 7:32 a.m., a New Mexico State Police (NMSP) officer, while conducting a traffic stop near Tinaja Rest Area in Colfax County, was alerted by a maintenance worker about a stabbing incident at the rest area.

When the NMSP officer arrived on the scene, he witnessed Colfax County Deputies and Fire personnel providing medical assistance to the stabbing victim, 79-year-old David Adams, who was later pronounced deceased. The victim’s wife reported her husband was attacked and stabbed while they were at the rest area. She also told the NMSP officer their grey 2016 BMW was missing.

Raton Police Department dispatch had issued a Be on the Look Out (BOLO) for the stolen BMW at about 7:34 a.m. An NMSP officer spotted the stolen BMW on Interstate 25 in San Miguel County and attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, but the driver of the stolen vehicle, later identified as Dorien Ray, 21, of Union City, GA did not comply, which led to a pursuit. The pursuit concluded with the use of a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) to stop the vehicle. NMSP placed Ray in custody.

During the investigation, NMSP Investigations Bureau (IB) Agents learned a stolen white 2019 Toyota 4Runner at the scene of the stabbing matched a vehicle reported stolen out of Aurora, Colorado. The suspect, described as a black male in his 20s, had brandished a knife in the Colorado theft. The suspect NMSP had in custody matched the description of the Aurora theft suspect. There were items found near the rest area that matched items from the Aurora incident.

Dorien Ray was charged with:

• Murder in the 1st degree (open charge)

• Armed Robbery

• Possession of a Stolen Vehicle

• Unlawful Taking of a Motor Vehicle

The incident remains under investigation by the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau. Please reach out to Colorado authorities for information on that incident.

--End News Release--