How Police Accidentally Busted Mother And Daughter's Secret Criminal Operation

Where's the big boys and kid? >> Not breathing, not conscious. CPR. started. >> These New Mexico officers are racing to. save the life of a young boy amid a. growing series of deaths. Over the. previous months, 10 other victims had. fallen to the same mysterious silent. killer, leaving law enforcement across.

this small county struggling to contain. its growing threat. But as investigators. try to figure out how it reached someone. so young, they slowly uncover a far. shadier operation much closer to home. involving the very people closest to the. victim. Once I find out that you're. lying to me, I'm going to put you in. jail. >> Do you think she killed him? >> No, I need to talk to my lawyer. You're. right. >> Unfortunately, a young man is not with. us here anymore. We cannot let this go.

It's early Tuesday morning in Carl'sbad, New Mexico. 12-year-old Brent is staying. at his grandmother, Kelly's house, where. he has been living the past few days. after problems at home with his mother. At around 5:30 a.m., while the rest of. the house goes quiet, Brent slips. outside, he walks across the backyard. and makes his way towards a small shed. behind the house. Roughly 7 hours later,

police receive a 911 call from the. house. >> Carlb 911. Where's the emergency? >> It's an ambulance right now. 2421. Western Street. Are you on 24 Way? Please hurry. 24/19 Western Way. What's. going on? >> Is in the backyard and he's not. responding to anything. He looks like. he's been unresponsive for a long time. Please, please. >> Whose child is it? >> The call suddenly cuts out before.

dispatch can gather any more information. about what's happening. A unit is. immediately sent to the address to. investigate. As officers make their way. to the location, an unknown person. quietly slips away from the scene. When. police finally reach the house, they. hear frantic commotion coming from the. backyard. Is it this one? Oh.

Oh, it's right here. The backyard. Backyard. I'm just going to go around. Where at? Where's the big boys? They're all fire. >> How did you for.

not breathing, not conscious? CPR. started. >> unconscious juvenile male. How old? How old? >> How old is he? >> He's 12. >> 12. >> Hey, Marquez. Make sure nobody leaves. this. >> Okay. >> Come on, buddy. Come on, buddy. >> What's his name? Tell me. >> What's his name? >> Hey, what's his name? >> Brent. Brent. Come on, buddy. Come on,

Brent. >> Come on, Brent. >> Come on, Brent. >> Come on, Brent. Let's go. Dang it. >> Okay, just grab everything we just. dumped. >> I got it. Go, go, go. >> Go, John. You got the You're welcome. >> S, give me a minute.

>> Hey, don't don't talk to me right now, bro. Despite officer's efforts, young Brent. remains completely unresponsive. He's. rushed by paramedics to Carl'sbad. Medical Center, where doctors will work. on saving his life. In the meantime, officers need to determine what led to. Brent being unconscious in the first. place. As they get to work, a driver. pulls over, claiming she saw something.

very suspicious happening just before. police arrived. The guy walked out through here. He went. around. He went through that gate over. there and he's walking that way in real. suspicious street. >> What is he wearing? >> He's got brain source, gray t-shirt, and. he's got a black backpack. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Very suspicious. >> Okay. 148 Sam 114.

I was just advised of uh the water. department shortly before our arrival. Male subject, gray shirt, gray shorts with a black. backpack walked out of that backyard and. left towards possibly Pier Street. The witness account gives officers their. first lead. A mysterious man who left. the property shortly before police. arrived. However, officers have no idea. who he is, where he went, or whether he.

had anything to do with Brent's. condition. And given what they've just. found inside the shed, locating him. quickly becomes a priority. While one group of officers remains at. the house to continue investigating the. scene and speak with the residents, another heads out to locate the. mysterious man. By now, a bolo has been. issued, and officers across the area. have received his description. As units. begin circling the surrounding streets, police receive a tip about someone. matching that description near a.

McDonald's. Just a few blocks from the. house, officers quickly make their way. towards the location. Hey bud, how you doing? Let me talk to. you for you over here, man. >> Yes, sir. >> Do me a favor, okay? We're conducting an. investigation. Okay. >> All right. >> Go ahead and put your bag down for me. Put it over here. Okay. Yes, sir. >> You have any ID on you? >> No, sir. >> No ID on you, sir. What's your name? >> Eric. >> Where are you coming from, Eric? >> Right down here on Western Ring.

>> What's your last name? >> Lopez. >> Eric Lopez, >> sir. >> This officer has no idea that the very. first thing Eric told them was already a. lie. One police won't uncover until much. later. For now, though, Eric appears. cooperative, so officers keep him. talking. And as they continue asking. more questions, one of Eric's answers. quickly raises suspicions. >> What were you doing over there? I was. saying they're visiting a pin. >> Oh, yeah. Yes, sir. >> Okay.

>> Uh, Benito, what is it? Bonito. The Spanish is. there. >> Oh, okay. All right. Well, um, you're. probably going to have to go with us, man. They want to talk to you. Okay. You. don't have a problem with that? >> No, no, no, no. If you guys want me to. go over there, talk to No, no. We'll. take you over there. >> That's what I'm saying. Do you have anything in your backpack? >> It's not my backpack, but that's Yeah, I. have my phone in your possessions. >> Oh, I know. I'm saying my phone's in. there. The rest of the stuff inside of. it are my girls in can the rest of the. >> Okay.

>> Just making sure I have consent to go. into the bags, right? >> Um, no. We were up there. The guys just. threw that puppy. >> That's fine. Perfectly fine. Fine. I. mean, you guys are going to do all that. Okay. While Eric agrees to continue. speaking with police, one detail from. this encounter immediately stands out. Despite carrying the backpack witnesses. saw him leave the property with, Eric. quickly distances himself from it, insisting it doesn't even belong to him. And when officers ask for permission to.

search it, he refuses. Whatever may be. inside will remain a mystery for now. Without Eric's consent, police first. need legal grounds to search it. But his. refusal only gives officers more reason. to keep digging. So they arrange to. drive him back towards the scene where. they can continue questioning him. On. the way, one officer checks the. information Eric provided and looks into. his background. That's when he makes a. strange discovery. One Eric is now going.

to have to explain. >> You don't know who you are. You're not. located in none of the 50 states in the. United States of America. So, >> I'm not sure about myself. So, hear me. out. >> Yeah, I got you. I got you. >> I am the nicest guy probably that works. on the department. But once I find out. that you're lying to me, >> I'm going to I'm going to put you in. jail. >> under John Doe until you tell me who. your real name is. You already lied to. me once at McDonald's. >> Okay. Then we're going to have a. problem. We have big issues. >> and you don't want and you don't want to.

mess with me when we have big issues. Okay. >> All right. So, what's your real name? >> John Ralph. R. >> It's what? >> Ralph. R A U C. >> R A U C. >> John Rock R A U. >> Go ahead and kick rocks, man. >> Okay, so this is the deal, man. >> Is you're going to go back to the PD. All right. >> They need to talk to you. >> Let's do it. >> All right. Should have just told the. truth. >> I know. I did tell the tree line. everything but that. Dude, >> you kind of labeled yourself now, man.

You know what I mean? >> I know. After some pressure, Eric gives. officers his real name, John Wesley. Roush. But he insists that everything. else he told police is true and he had. nothing to do with Brent's condition. The problem is, after lying about. something as basic as his own name, investigators now have little reason to. take his word for it. And when they run. Jon's real information, they uncover. another problem. He has outstanding.

arrest warrants. So once detectives. finish speaking with him at the scene, Jon is taken into custody for further. questioning later on. With him in. custody, police can turn their full. attention back to the crime scene. However, around this same time, they. receive tragic news from the hospital. Brent has unfortunately passed away. His. death immediately raises the stakes of. the investigation. Police still don't.

know exactly what happened inside the. shed or whether someone else played a. role in it. So, officers secure the. property and begin working to piece. together what happened in the backyard. And as they take a closer look inside. the shed, one officer spots something. odd. I don't want to step on the ink.

You see your. Oh, yeah. They're growing a plant down. there. Are they? Mhm. from McDonald.

It's burnt, but I don't see any. Yeah, I. don't know, man. >> This discovery finally gives police. their first indication of what may have. actually killed Brent. a powerful. illicit substance that had already been. tearing through Eddie County for months. Over the previous few years, law. enforcement across Eddie County had been.

battling a rapidly growing problem. involving illicit pills. By May of 2021, officers had already seized. approximately 8,000 pills with the local. death rate becoming serious enough to. attract the attention of the DEA and. several other federal agencies who were. now working alongside local police to. combat the problem. Only months before. Brent's death, around 10 people across. Eddie County had reportedly already died. from involving the same substance.

Somehow, it was spreading throughout the. county and leaving law enforcement. scrambling to keep up. But Brent's case. is about to present investigators with a. much more disturbing twist. Because the. threat may not have reached him from. some stranger on the street at all, but. through a far shadier operation. involving the people closest to him. By. this point, Brent's mother, Alexis, has. arrived at the house. So officers begin. speaking with her where they'll get. their first indication that this family.

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Did. >> you get her information? Did anybody. hear your information? Okay. What is. your. accident? >> Can you explain to me what happened? >> I don't know. I don't know yesterday morning. Yesterday morning I took my girls to. school and when I came back I could. smell that and I could smell that he had. been smoked.

I tried to search him and he took off. running from me and I chased him and. when I when I finally I had to keep. chasing cuz he kept getting out and when. I finally found him I brought him here. for my mom to watch so that I could. search everything and find us cuz he. keeps doing this. >> So today So today you brought him over. here that way you could. >> yesterday morning. >> and he's been over here since yesterday. Mhm. >> Okay. I stay up like checking like the shed.

and everything trying to find all cuz. it's every like he's got places. everywhere. with foils and stuff everywhere. And I. >> I just want to walk through the door cuz. tells me go look for Brit. We haven't he. has a baby. You know what I mean? >> Okay. >> I come out here and I've noticed the S's. closed off from the inside. >> Okay. >> I come over there and I pounded on the. door. Nothing. Nothing. I forced it open. and there he was right there on the.

ground. >> Okay. >> When you found Brent laying on the. ground, he wasn't breathing. >> It was purple. >> It was cold. I try my best. to try take for him. >> Yeah. >> While Brent's mother, Alexis, appears.

completely devastated, investigators are. beginning to question the dynamics. inside this family. From what they've. heard so far, Alexis knew about her. young son's substance use and somehow. failed to stop it. Something that could. carry serious consequences. If. investigators determined that she. knowingly failed to protect Brent from. such a dangerous situation, her role. could go beyond that of a grieving. parent. But one crucial part of the. story is still missing. Investigators.

still don't know where Brent had been. getting the substance from. So, they. turn to Brent's grandmother, Kelly, who. is about to make a disturbing claim. about where it actually may have been. coming from. >> This is grandma. >> Okay. >> This the owner of the house. >> She just got out of the trailer. >> Ma'am, what's your name? >> Kelly Smith. >> Kelly Smith. >> Go get the dogs. >> What happened? What do you know?

He's been stealing. >> He's been doing this for a while. >> Stealing from who? >> From his mom. >> Whoever happened. >> What do you know that he took or what do. you think he took? >> Ma'am, this is all important. information. Did you find around him? Do. you you think he took it? No, he took he. had taken her yesterday and we we uh. >> Okay.

>> According to Kelly, Brent had been. stealing from his own mother. For. investigators, that changes everything. Alexis may not have simply failed to. stop her son from using. She could have. been the very person he was getting. stuff from. Now, investigators need to. determine whether Kelly's claim is true. and if it is exactly how much Alexis and. the rest of the family knew about what. was happening. At the same time, they. still have one major piece of evidence.

yet to be examined. Jon's backpack, which he had refused to let officers. search. If police find something inside. linking Rash to the substance Brent had. taken, it could shift the focus of the. investigation away from the family. With several possibilities still on the. table, everyone is transported to the. station for formal interviews. While. Alexis is given some time to collect. herself, detectives start with Bren's. grandmother, Kelly. Having just pointed. investigators towards her own daughter, Kelly is about to reveal something that.

could bring the scrutiny much closer to. herself. >> Just some some areas of concern with. this. I mean, did did you know that. Brent was. utilizing or addicted to anyway? He had. ODed a couple times before. >> Okay. The first time you What was that. at that you were? >> My house. >> Your house. >> How? And that that was probably about 6. months ago, you say? >> I can't remember. I can't remember. >> Somewhere around that area though. >> Yeah. We just heard him fall and uh my. friend, two of my brothers got some.

Naran and we naraned him and that didn't. work. So then we put him in the shower. and then uh my brother came and we. naraned him again and we got him. breathing. >> Okay. Did he go to the hospital? >> No. Is there another time after that? >> His mom. >> What happened in that one that you're. aware of? >> He started puking everywhere. I guess he. fell out of my chair. Everybody ran over. there and took n. >> came back. Mhm. >> Okay. Did he go to the hospital then?

>> No. >> And then that leaves till today. This. was his fourth one. Do you know of any. other ones? No. Do you know if Alexis is using any. any. >> that you're aware of? Do you have your. assumptions? >> I haven't seen her do. >> do it. >> No, I haven't seen her do it, but I. don't know. >> Do you think she's on it?

>> No, I need to talk to my lawyer. You're. right. >> That's fine. >> I mean, she's my baby. She's got my. other babies. >> Detectives have now learned even more. about Brent's troubling history with. substances, but in the process, Kelly. has had enough, invoking her right to an. attorney and bringing the interview to. an end. From this point on, detectives. know they need to be much more careful. Kelly has accused Alexis of being the. source of Brent's supply. But.

investigators don't know how much of it. is true, what role Kelly herself may. have played, or whether John Rash and. the contents of his backpack could offer. an entirely different explanation. So, when it's finally time to interrogate. Alexis, detectives need to make a more. cautious approach. If they push too hard. too soon, they risk losing another. interview before getting the answers. they need. Good over for me. Next chair right over.

here. Okay. Now listen, Alexis, like I told your told your mom, okay? This is a very serious thing, okay? And. I know you're I know you're upset, okay? I totally understand. Okay. Okay. >> But I want you to be honest. Okay. I.

want you to listen to me. Okay. Let me. ask you this question. Okay. Kind of a. little bit off the subject. How long you. been using? >> H. >> For how long would you say? >> How many years? I guess. for about. >> what is it. >> about? >> One year. >> Yes. >> How did you get started using.

>> I don't really know. Um like. I don't know. >> You don't remember? No. >> Have you been using that about a year? >> Give her Jake. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> Okay. Did you take Brent over there. today? >> No, I yesterday Y yesterday morning I. took the girls to school and when I got. home I get smell. So, I like grabbed him.

because I knew he had had gotten some. and it was not from me cuz I I don't. keep anything anywhere around like. anywhere like cuz I know cuz he's been. trying cuz he's been doing this. He's. doing this. Although Alexis denies any. connection to Brent's supply, she can't. offer any real explanation of where he. might have gotten it from. So far, the. careful approach seems to be getting. detectives nowhere. If they want to find.

out whether there's any truth to Kelly's. accusation, they now have to take a. risk, pushing Alexis harder. Even if it. means she could shut down the interview. entirely. >> I keep it on me. Like, if I have any, I. keep it on me. I don't keep there's none. anywhere. I keep it on me because he's. cuz he scares him. >> Do you When's the last time you p. yesterday. >> Yesterday.

>> I got to tell you, Alexis, this is kind. of disheartening. You know what I mean? Like, he's so young. You know what I. mean? Like, he needs guidance. >> How do you think he was getting this. stuff? >> I don't know. I honestly don't know. I. mean, from some. >> I mean, you know how the how everything. works. He was stealing like I mean he. was stealing from all sips. He was. stealing like bears and stuff. He was. stealing all my money. He was stealing. bears and stuff. He was stealing from.

all so much that they had to change the. way the store was. Like I had to go down. there and give him my number and tell. him like, you know, to call me if. anytime I left his site like I mean. anytime he wasn't right by me. >> How many times did he. >> How many times did he ever get into your. to into your stuff? >> Like once. cuz I never left him. >> How How much did he get from you when he. got into it? >> Like I said, I never had much, but he. took everything. I mean, >> how much was everything? >> Like two pills. >> How much? >> When was that? >> I don't I couldn't tell you that that it.

was cuz this is all. >> You don't have to be precise. Month, two. months, a year. >> Yeah, a couple months. >> How old was he? >> Like it was. >> so last year probably. >> No, it was within the last couple. months. >> Last couple months. And he took two. pills from you? Let me ask you this. Did Did it ever. ever like did you ever think about it as. like a mom like I should knock this off. and and stop doing this on having it. around? I mean because he's taken it. from you once. I mean do you know what.

I'm saying? It's Did you ever just look. at it and say, "Man, I need to I need to. stop. I need to clean myself up." How. come you didn't? >> Cuz it hurts. >> Cuz of what? >> I don't know if I introduced myself. My. name is Agent Gilbert Gomez. Okay. I'm. assigned to the Pis Valley Drug Task. Force. Okay. But I'm also assigned to. the Drug Enforcement Administration. Okay. I'm a task force officer to them. Um, as you know, has been plaguing this. the community of Carl'sb for quite some.

time. And the these deaths, we take them. quite serious. Okay. You're in a. predicament, but so are we. We have to. do something about this. We cannot let. this go unchecked. You understand? Unfortunately, a young man is not with. us here anymore. And no one's going to. feel that harder than you, but us as a. community are going to feel that as. well, because that can be anybody's. 12-year-old kid. >> By the time Alexis's interrogation comes. to an end, detectives believe they've. finally begun piecing together what. happened to Brent. with Alexis admitting.

that her son had gotten into her stash. before, Kelly acknowledging that he had. overdosed multiple times in the past, and none of those incidents ever. resulting in Brent being taken to a. hospital. Both women are now implicated. in his death. And the case against the. family becomes even stronger when. detectives interview Kelly's boyfriend, Michael Ortiz, who reveals that both. Alexis and Kelly had been selling pills. With Kelly allegedly giving Alexis as. many as 300 pills at a time to sell when.

police later examined the family's. phones, they uncover messages suggesting. how the supply chain worked. Kelly had. been traveling to Arizona, obtaining. drugs and bringing them back to. Carl'sbad. Alexis then helped distribute. those pills locally, arranging sales and. collecting money for her mother. Police. did not uncover evidence of a cartel or. a large organized trafficking ring, but. this appeared to be more than occasional. low-level dealing. It was a recurring.

familyrun distribution setup with Kelly. functioning as the supplier and Alexis. helping move the drugs around Carl'sbad. After this, investigators decide they. have enough to move forward against both. Alexis and Kelly. So, both women are. placed under arrest and charged with. Brent's death. They also face a second. count of child not resulting in death or. great bodily harm after investigators. determined that Alexis's young daughter. had also been exposed to the same. dangerous environment. In September. 2023, Alexis was found guilty on both.

charges. She is later sentenced to 14. years in prison, followed by 2 years of. parole. Kelly is also convicted and. sentenced to 18 years in prison. With. both women behind bars, investigators. had one loose end to resolve. John Rash. After Raj refused to let officers search. his backpack, investigators obtained a. warrant, allowing them to finally. examine what was inside, where they. found drugs, scales, more than $1,000 in. cash, and a handgun. Yet, despite how.

suspicious that discovery appeared, investigators never found enough. evidence linking the substance in Raj's. backpack to Brent. John Rash was never. charged in connection with his death.