Woman accused of vandalizing memorial of slain officer

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – An Albuquerque woman is behind bars, accused of vandalizing the memorial for slain Albuquerque Police Officer Daniel Webster.

Jennifer Otte, 40, is accused of tearing up items, throwing flowers and rocks in the street and using a large knife to cut open stuffed animals.

“I think that’s horrible. I don’t know why people do stuff like that,” said Rick Shadle.

“I think it’s unconscionable. It’s awful,” said Cheryl Eaton.

People in Albuquerque say this crime disgusts them.

“That’s like going to a graveyard almost and destroying stuff there. Yeah, I just don’t think it’s right,” said Shadle.

Mementos have been left at the corner of Central and Eubank since the night whenAPD officer Daniel Webster was shot there last year.

In April, a permanent memorial was added to the spot. At the time, officers called it a place to visit their friend. For Officer Webster’s widow, it a place to wrap her arms around what little is left of him.

Investigators say Otte targeted that memorial Saturday night, doing some major damage.

“It is very sacred ground. I think for the city, the department, for Michelle, for Dan himself. It’s disappointing that something like that would happen,” said APD Officer Simon Drobik.

Witnesses told investigators they saw Otte walking away from the memorial with several flags and a black mat. They say when they confronted her, she threatened them with the knife she had, saying she was going to kill them and transport their dead bodies in the grocery cart they were pushing.

APD says it’s sad to hear about the damage, but unfortunately, it’s not surprising.

“It’s disappointing that something like that would happen, but it has happened in the past,” said Officer Drobik. “We’ve had our substations, which are all named for fallen officers, vandalized.”

Some people say it’s a slap in the face to the officer’s family who has already lost so much.

“It’s a further insult and I’m sure something they’re not gonna forget either,” said Eric Verner.

Otte was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. She has a long rap sheet going back to 2002, but according to online court records, several of the past cases against her have been dismissed, listing “defendant incompetent” as the reason.

Otte was scheduled to be in court Sunday morning but her appearance was rescheduled.