Mescalero Man Charged with Child Abuse

ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man has been charged with child abuse after firing a weapon near his two young children and placing them in a situation that endangered their lives. 

According to court documents, on August 26, 2025, Emilio Morales, 24, a non-Indian, went to a residence located within the exterior boundaries of the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation. Upon arrival, Morales fired a weapon into the air multiple times and forced entry into the home. Once inside, he took his two-year-old son from his crib while armed and threatened to harm himself in front of the child. Morales then seized his four-year-old daughter and continued making threats of self-harm. When officers arrived on scene, Morales demanded that they shot him while he was holding his daughter. The children’s safety was secured after a brief standoff.

Both children are enrolled members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

Morales is charged with child abuse and will remain in custody pending trial. If convicted of the current charges, Morales faces up to three years in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.