Brian Bradley
WC Monitor
10/16/2015
A former employee of a Los Alamos National Laboratory subcontractor who reportedly stole radiation-contaminated lab tools from the lab last month was subsequently involved in an Oct. 1 two-vehicle rollover crash while seemingly impaired by a “controlled substance,” according to the accident report obtained by Weapons Complex Monitor yesterday.
The crash on New Mexico State Road 4, near LANL’s eastern border and the town of White Rock, N.M., resulted in the hospitalization of Richard Atencio, 51, of Española, N.M., who was also apparently to blame for the incident. The collision was caused by a Dodge pickup truck that crossed into oncoming traffic near mile marker 64 in Santa Fe County, where the vehicle smashed into a Los Alamos County transit bus, snarling traffic for hours and delaying dozens of lab employees en route to work, officials said. Neither the bus’s driver nor its three passengers were hurt. Atencio was subsequently taken into custody before being released on $5,000 bond.
Federal Investigation
The FBI is investigating Atencio in connection with an apparent theft of laboratory equipment that escalated into a hazard situation on Sept. 29, Weapons Complex Monitor has learned. Another lab employee on that day saw Atencio throwing things out of a Honda Accord, apparently owned or driven by Atencio, into bushes on LANL grounds, and stopped the in-progress theft, according to two high-ranking industry officials with knowledge of the incident. While Edna Lopez, CEO of LANL cleanup subcontractor Compa Industries, confirmed Atencio at one point worked for the company, she declined to say whether he was employed at the time of the apparent theft or at any point thereafter. However, the industry officials said Compa employed Atencio until shortly after the event, at which point he was fired.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Division did not confirm that Atencio was the subject of an ongoing theft investigation, but released the following statement: “The FBI is investigating a report of stolen tools from Los Alamos National Laboratory. This investigation is being coordinated with the U.S. Department of Energy-Office of Inspector General, National Nuclear Security Administration, LANL and Los Alamos Police Department. Because this is an ongoing investigation, no further information can be released.”
Atencio was in or near Technical Area 54, a radioactive waste storage area at LANL, when he was seen tossing the items, which included a contaminated band saw, pair of gloves, and a bag, a lab spokesperson confirmed. A HAZMAT sweep of Atencio’s Accord indicated radioactivity on the car’s steering wheel, gear shift, and passenger door. A subsequent Oct. 9 FBI search of Atencio’s home turned up no LANL property or radioactive items. Responding to a separate request for comment, a lab spokesperson declined to discuss the theft and Atencio’s current employment status.
While earlier reports had indicated 76 reported cases of theft of LANL property by LANL employees in the past year, industry officials have refuted this, saying that there were 14 reported thefts of lab equipment such as gloves, tape, and a garden hose during that time frame. Overall, they said, there were 76 reported losses by lab employees, comprising those 14 thefts and 62 losses of items like phones, badges, and other personal property.
Charges Stemming from Crash
Local authorities have not filed any charges against Atencio in connection with the reported thefts, but court records indicate he faces state charges related to the Oct. 1 crash: one count of misdemeanor aggravated DWI, which is defined as “Driving While Under the Influence of Liquor and/or Drugs,” along with single counts of reckless driving and having no car insurance.
The crash report says video footage from the county bus showed a southbound 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 cross into the northbound lane of State Road 4 and strike the bus, which rolled over on its passenger side on the asphalt. The Dodge, driven and owned by Atencio, was found crashed into a fence east of the roadway, according to that report.
The arriving officer said Atencio appeared to have “consumed a controlled substance.” Responding medics found the Dodge driver “breathing but not awake,” and unresponsive. Atencio was identified by a LANL badge in his truck, as well as by a scan of his license plate, according to responding Los Alamos County Police Officer Gabriel Nieto’s incident notes. “The name on the badge was Richard Atencio with a photo on it,” the narrative states. Atencio was then taken to a Santa Fe hospital, where a blood test for drugs was performed, before being transported to jail for booking. Authorities sent the badge back to LANL.
Los Alamos County police spokesman Cmdr. Preston Ballew said the department is awaiting the results of the blood test to determine whether alcohol or other drugs were a factor in the collision. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department was notified of the crash because it happened in its jurisdiction, but the office advised Los Alamos police to handle the crash. Atencio is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 26 in Los Alamos County Magistrate Court.
