Patrol Cop Runs Into Secret Killer Dumping Body In Mountains

September 26, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Patrol Cop Runs Into Secret Killer Dumping Body In Mountains

A routine traffic stop in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico would become the break in a case that began with a missing man, involved a multi-county cover-up, and ended with a body found dumped down a hillside. What started as a simple tag light violation placed a patrol officer face to face with a wanted fugitive who had allegedly just finished disposing of human remains.

The Disappearance of Albert Peña

On December 30th, 67-year-old Albert Peña spent an evening at the Cantina Bar in Mountainair, a small New Mexico town with fewer than 1,000 residents but a crime rate unusually high for its size. Surveillance footage showed Peña laughing, drinking, and playing pool with a younger man named Moises Lopez. The two left together in Peña's Chevrolet Trailblazer. No argument ever took place — contradicting what Lopez would later tell detectives.

When Peña didn't come home, his brother Frankie reported him missing to the Torrance County Sheriff's Office. The call felt all too familiar to the responding deputy, given recent mysterious disappearances around Mountainair. But Peña's case would soon draw statewide attention: his sister-in-law was Clarissa Peña, president of the Albuquerque City Council, who publicly prayed for his safe return at a community event.

Following the Trail

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What you'll learn

1 (00:41) **Routine Traffic Stop Turns Deadly** - A New Mexico patrol cop pulls over a car with a broken tag light, unaware the passengers had just finished disposing of a body in the mountains.
2 (02:10) **A Missing Man and a Small Town Mystery** - The case begins with Frankie reporting his 67-year-old brother, Albert Pena, missing after a night out at the Cantina Bar in Mountain Air.
3 (04:41) **First Lead: The Bartender's Tip** - The deputy interviews the bartender, Rebecca, who identifies the last person seen with Albert: Moises Lopez.
4 (06:14) **The Suspects Emerge** - A background check reveals Moises Lopez is a convicted felon on parole with an active warrant, giving police grounds for a search.
5 (10:05) **A Deceptive Phone Call** - Jalen calls Detective Ballard back, claiming she and Moises are out of town and acting unusually calm about the situation.
6 (14:06) **The Abandoned SUV and Horrifying Discovery** - A patrolling officer finds Albert's abandoned Chevrolet Trailblazer off a dirt road.
7 (16:58) **A Second Couple Enters the Picture** - In Otero County, a woman named Ashley reports that a couple, Katie and Manuel, returned borrowed tools covered in blood.

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Show Notes

Head to https://chime.com/drinsanity for a $200 bonus and 5% cash back with Chime® Thanks Chime for sponsoring this video! - After 67-year-old Albert Peña vanishes from Mountainair, New Mexico, Detective Kent Ballard follows a trail of blood, abandoned vehicles and a hidden underground bunker that suggests someone is desperately trying to erase what happened. Then, more than 100 miles away, an Otero County deputy unknowingly pulls over Moises Lopez, Jaylene Lewark, Cady Landrum and Manuel Lopez... the very group investigators are beginning to connect to Albert’s disappearance. What follows is a multi-county hunt for the truth, as police race to unravel an alleged cover-up before the people at the center of it slip away. - Chime is a fintech, not a bank. Banking services and Chime Card provided by Chime's bank partners. $200 Intro Offer: *Terms apply, must open the new account and complete qualifying activities to earn the rewards, up to a maximum of $200.00, as described in the offer terms at https://www.chime.com/join/promos/get.... Savings APY: No min. balance required. For more information on Annual Percentage Yields, go to chime.com/disclosures. 9x times national average: Comparison to national average rate on the FDIC’s National Rates and Rate Caps website, as of 098/2206/2026. 5% Cash Back: Cash back on eligible Chime Card purchases. Terms and limits apply. To apply for a Chime Card, you must also open a Chime Checking Account. Round Ups and Split your pay: For information on Round ups and Split your pay, please see chime.com/disclosures. - This video was made for educational purposes only. The video is presented to provide genuine footage of police incidents to promote transparency in government while providing educational, informative and newsworthy content allowing viewers to examine and assess public safety material. This is a fact-checked documentary using authoritative sources. We are committed to accuracy in every case we cover. Because videos cannot be updated after publication, any corrections, clarifications, or new information will be documented on our official corrections page: