A firefighter with the Los Pinos Fire Protection District has been charged in 6th Judicial District Court in connection with a domestic violence case involving his former girlfriend, who also works as a firefighter for the district.
Matthew Misquez, 36, was charged Wednesday with criminal mischief, third-degree assault and obstruction of a telephone or telegraph service – all class one misdemeanors – relating to an incident that occurred in August 2021. The alleged victim is Misquez’s 37-year-old former partner, who is also a firefighter with the district.
Misquez is being represented by criminal defense attorney Heather Little.
According to an affidavit written by Deputy Sheriff Drew Facompre, Misquez grew angry after accusing his partner of cheating on him and reacted by throwing glassware and other items. The victim attempted to call a friend, but Misquez took the phone away and destroyed it in the garbage disposal. The victim then used a computer to contact the friend, which she did successfully before Misquez smashed the computer.
According to the affidavit, the victim told deputies Misquez grabbed and shoved her during the altercation, and that she had photographs of bruises, the broken electronics and other damage to the house. The victim also showed the officer text messages in which the defendant “admits to over reacting, breaking things, being intoxicated, and being apologetic over the incident.”
The responding deputy spoke with the victim Dec. 26, 2022. He spoke with Misquez two days later and said Misquez admitted to destroying the electronics, punching a hole in the door, handling the victim because “she was preventing him from leaving” and said he paid to repair everything he had broken.
A mandatory protection order preventing the defendant from contacting the victim was signed Dec. 29 at the defendant’s arrest. However, the two firefighters have continued to work at the same station, Misquez confirmed, albeit on different shifts.
“We are never in the same room at the same time now,” Misquez said during a brief interview Thursday with The Durango Herald. “The department has implemented a new policy where we are never in the same place at the same time.”
According to an organizational chart on the department’s website, both the defendant and the victim work under the same captain.
Misquez, who was formally advised of the charges Thursday in District Court, did not say how long the couple have worked on separate shifts but said there “has been no issue at work.”
Los Pinos Fire Protection District Chief Tony Harwig declined to comment for this story.
Herald Staff Writer Megan Olsen contributed to this report.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
