Where the guys in the van were was on I-40, right where NM 6 intersects I-40. NM 6 ends up in Los Lunas, just above Belen. I was driving and my husband had the seat reclined (he was sleeping) so they didn't know he was in the car. It was terrifying and I remember seeing their faces very clearly. When my husband popped up, they took off instantly. Based on their appearance they were most likely Native Americans and clearly up to no good. They were middle aged, and one had a very flat face. They both looked mean. I remember the van had no windows (other than in the front) and that there were numerous large antenaes on the rear/side of the van. I was young and cute at the time, not a middle aged old lady like I am now. And our car wasn't anything worth stealing; they were clearly just interested in me. I just have always "felt" these could be the same guys.
I have never been on NM 6, but I'm guessing that it is a desolate two-lane and an easy drive to Belen going thru very remote areas. If these were the guys, her body could be anywhere. The area is just so remote.
I completely understand, Sayd, I also had a creepy encounter around Belen, NM.
I lived in Eastern New Mexico for several years before recently moving to the Midwest. My friend and I would spend many weekends exploring the remote corners of New Mexico, discovering abandoned ghost towns and enjoying the quiet desolate beauty of the desert.
One weekend we were traveling from Ruidoso to Albuquerque. Always up for exploring, we took a back road rather than traveling the more direct highway.
One leg of our journey had us on NM55. It was a remote, teeny, tiny two lane highway. We loved these types of roads- up until that day.
We were going to be on NM55 for 20 miles before getting to NM60 which would take us to I25. About 5 miles into the highway, we saw a white pickup truck ahead of us. He was going the same direction we were. We started paying more attention when he stopped his truck sideways in the middle of the highway, blocking both lanes. After a minute, he pulled over and parked off on the left side of the highway- but with his truck facing the direction we were going- he was parked on the wrong side of the road. At the time he pulled over, he was about a mile ahead of us. As we came up on him, we looked over and he stared the whole time we passed by. We thought it was weird and started getting a little nervous. We realized how alone we really were. We had seen no other traffic on that road and we hadn't told our husbands about our 'great idea' to take a detour. We checked our cell phones and neither one had signal- typical for remote New Mexico, but scary given our present situation.
A minute after we passed the truck, he pulled back onto the highway and started following us. He never got too close. He would get to within a few car lengths and then drop back about a mile and then speed up again get close and then drop back. He did this over and over. We were really starting to get nervous. My friend was driving, and increasing our speed, while I frantically checked the map, hoping to find a road that would have more traffic. There was no other road. We had to travel this road to get to the next one.
After about 5 minutes, we saw another pickup truck coming towards us in the opposite lane. He was going very very slowly- maybe 20mph- if that. This pickup was old, beat up and filthy whereas the one behind us was newer looking.
My friend wasn't slowing down for anything. She kept our speed up to almost 80mph (which wasn't typical for us on a 55mph highway). And we blew by the slow, old pick up truck, but not without noticing that he also stared at us the whole time. And he was talking into what had to be a walkie-talkie.
And then he did a U-turn and pulled in behind the white pickup truck.
No doubt these two knew each other. We were being deliberately followed. And for the first- and only time- in my life, I felt 'hunted'.
They stayed behind us. We started watching out for obstacles in the road. We truly thought 'old beat-up pickup guy' had set up a trap in the road and our vehicle would be disabled somehow. We actually talked about driving into the fields (we were in an SUV). But this was obviously 'their territory' and we were afraid of what would happen if we did go 'off road'- and then got stuck somewhere. So, we stayed on the highway.
As we topped a hill, we nearly barreled into another vehicle going our direction. We saw the plates and they said 'US Park Service'. Not sure what to think, we looked behind us. Both pickup trucks did u-turns and went the other way. We followed the park service truck to NM60. We took it to I25 (South of Belen) and went on to Albuquerque.
I don't know exactly what those guys intentions were, but they weren't good. There is something seriously wrong there. I notified the State police, but there was no crime to report. They said they would keep an eye on things.
If anyone cares to google the area, search for 'Mountainair, NM'. That's the easiest way to find where we were on NM55.
NM55 is about 50 miles from Belen, NM. Sayd said her encounter was up on I40, near NM6, which is, again, about 50 miles from Belen, NM.
I'm not an alarmist, or drama queen, but there is something 'bad' going on in that part of New Mexico. Maybe its a big meth lab, maybe is human trafficking, maybe its both, or something completely different.
I do not think Tara was the victim of an accident and buried somewhere. I do not know if the two guys we saw, or the two guys sayd saw, are involved. But I do think that Tara was abducted.
