Opinion ID: 169653
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Search of Mr. Cos's Apartment

Text: On June 3, 2005, Albuquerque police received a report from Krista Shepard that Mr. Cos, her ex-boyfriend, had confronted her outside her apartment, brandished a knife, and threatened to kill her and her new roommate. She told Mr. Cos that she would call the police, and he fled. Based on Ms. Shepard's statement, Albuquerque Police Detective Chase Mayhew obtained an arrest warrant for Mr. Cos. Detective Mayhew attempted to contact Mr. Cos by telephone but was unsuccessful. On June 29, 2005, more than three weeks after receipt of Ms. Shepard's report, seven Albuquerque police officers arrived at Mr. Cos's apartment at approximately 3:00 p.m. to serve the arrest warrant. Feather Ricker, Mr. Cos's nineteen-year-old friend, answered the door. Ms. Ricker testified at the hearing on the motion to suppress that she had known Mr. Cos for about a month, that they were [r]eally good friends who were [j]ust getting to know each other, and that they would go out sometimes. Aplt's App. vol. II, at 250. She also testified that she never had a key to Mr. Cos's apartment, that she was not living there, that she did not pay the rent, and that her name was not on the lease. Before June 29, 2005, Ms. Ricker had been alone in the apartment once or twice, when Mr. Cos went to the store, and she had spent the night there on two or three occasions. However, she did not keep any of her personal belongings in the apartment. Ms. Ricker added that she lived at another apartment complex and that Mr. Cos did not help her financially. Earlier that day, Ms. Ricker had asked Mr. Cos for permission to bring her four-year-old nephew and two other young children to the apartment so that they could use the swimming pool there. Mr. Cos had agreed: he picked up Ms. Ricker and the children, drove them to his apartment, and left. Ms. Ricker and the children had been alone in the apartment for about forty minutes when the officers arrived. When Ms. Ricker answered the door to Mr. Cos's apartment on June 29, the following conversation ensued: [Albuquerque Police Officer Paul Pryde]: Are you guys the only ones at home? [Ms. Ricker]: Yeah, me and my kids. [Officer Pryde]: Is Jose here? [Ms. Ricker]: Jose, no. [Officer Pryde]: Has he ever been here? [Ms. Ricker]: Like earlier today, yeah, but. . . .  [Officer Pryde]: Can we take a look? [Ms. Ricker]: Yeah, go for it. Aplt's App. vol. I, at 42 (Mem Op. and Order, quoting Transcript of Taped Interview, at 1). Before entering, the Albuquerque police officers did not ask Ms. Ricker who she was or what relationship she had to Mr. Cos or his apartment. After the officers entered, they noticed that Ms. Ricker was cooking ground beef on the stove in the kitchen. Two children were watching a movie, and a third child came out from the bedroom. According to Sergeant John Guilmette, the third child kept looking back towards the bedroom. When she started to return there, Sergeant Guilmette stopped her. Believing that someone else was in the bedroom, he drew his weapon and entered. He and other officers then searched the bedroom and the bathroom. Under the bed, Sergeant Guilmette found a gun and a holster. He announced the discovery to the other officers and decided to request a search warrant. The officers proceeded to contact the apartment complex's management to determine whose name was on the lease. They learned that Mr. Cos's name was the only one listed. Next, Detective Mayhew asked Ms. Ricker a series of questions: if she lived in the apartment, if Mr. Cos had left her in charge, and if Mr. Cos had allowed her to stay there. Ms. Ricker described Mr. Cos as her ex-boyfriend and told Detective Mayhew that, on June 29, she just came to visit. Aplt's App. vol. I, at 44. She added that she was [n]ot in charge. [Mr. Cos] said he was gonna go get us. . . . Id. Additionally, she denied that Mr. Cos had allowed her and the children to stay in the apartment, stating, We just came to come, you know, swimming. Id. After confirming that Mr. Cos knew that Ms. Ricker was in the apartment while Mr. Cos was out, Detective Mayhew declared: That makes you the agent of this property. Id. Ms. Ricker replied, Uhuh. Id. Two hours after the police first knocked on the door, Ms. Ricker and the children left the apartment. Detective Mayhew also left, seeking to obtain a search warrant. Later that afternoon, Detective Mayhew returned with the warrant. Mr. Cos arrived at about the same time, and the officers arrested him. The police officers searched Mr. Cos's apartment and found $500 and a scale. They also interviewed Mr. Cos. He told them that he had been dating a girl that lived with him, whom he had known for about thirty-five days. Later, during the same interview, Mr. Cos stated that the girlfriend had been living at his apartment for approximately three months and had a key to his apartment. During the interview, neither Mr. Cos nor the officers mentioned Ms. Ricker by name, and the government does not now contend that Ms. Ricker was the girlfriend to whom Mr. Cos referred.