Albuquerque Journal editor on leave after shoplifting arrest in Rio Rancho

ALBUQUERQUE — The Albuquerque Journal’s executive editor is on leave after being arrested for shoplifting at a Walmart in Rio Rancho last month.

Patrick Ethridge, 47, was charged with misdemeanor shoplifting on Aug. 24. Ethridge pleaded guilty on Wednesday and was sentenced to 10 days in jail. He is currently behind bars at the Sandoval County Detention Center.

Ethridge’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“I am saddened to announce that, effective immediately, I am putting our Executive Editor, Patrick Ethridge, on a mandatory leave of absence,” Journal Publisher William P. Lang said in a statement Friday. “We don’t know or understand all the details yet, but were shocked to learn that he has been charged with shoplifting and sentenced by a Magistrate Judge in Sandoval County, where he is currently serving ten days.”

Lang added, “At the Albuquerque Journal, we believe in being transparent, and holding people to a higher standard, including ourselves. We appreciate your support and concern, and will report more information when it is clear to us.”

Ethridge became executive editor and vice president of the Journal on May 30, 2023.

With 26 years of experience with newspapers, Ethridge’s most recent role before the Journal was as editor and publisher of the Beatrice Daily Sun in Nebraska.

On Aug. 24, Rio Rancho police responded to a shoplifting at the Walmart Supercenter at Unser and Southern, according to a criminal complaint filed in Magistrate Court. Store security told police that two boys were “acting disorderly around the store, knocking over displays and concealing items.”

Police said officers identified the boys as Ethridge’s sons and found the family in the self-checkout area and “advised them of the allegations.” Officers watched surveillance video, which showed the boys opening energy drinks, drinking some and putting them on the shelf again.

While reviewing the footage, officers saw Ethridge “skip scanning” items — which means pretending to scan items through self-checkout without paying, according to the complaint. Officers said Ethridge would “scan some items and not others.”

“The sum of all unpaid merchandise, including the energy drinks the boys consumed, was $104.20,” according to police.

On Thursday, Ethridge’s attorney, filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea and said he did so “wanting to get this case over with as expeditiously as possible” and “in spite of the fact that he did not intentionally steal any items.”

In the motion, Ethridge said he didn’t know the items had not been scanned and “asked to pay for the unscanned items.”

“The store refused to do this and pressed charges of shoplifting against Mr. Ethridge instead,” according to the motion.