SANTA FE, N.M. – It’s not every day a KOB 4 story ends up in a trial, but on Tuesday, state prosecutors admitted our 2022 interview with Jeannine Jaramillo. The interview was before police arrested Jaramillo for faking a kidnapping that lead to a wrong-way chase and crash that killed two people.

Our crew caught up with Jaramillo on March 4, two days after the crash that killed Santa Fe police officer Robert Duran and retired Las Vegas, New Mexico firefighter Frank Lovato.

We asked Jaramillo about what happened, she told us she wasn’t doing well, and she was scared for her life. 

“I was with the driver, and he, like, basically kidnapped me because he did not want to bring me home,” Jeannine Jaramillo said.

In the interview, Jaramillo sticks to what police say was a false story. 

“I’m just in shock still. I am trying to get myself out now and go for a little walk because I’m scared I am going to see him, I’m going to run into him again.” Jeannine Jaramillo said.

The “him” Jaramillo is referring to is Mark Lopez. The man she claims kidnapped her and held her at knife point, which is what started the chase. She then made a plea for him to turn himself in.

“If he is watching this. I mean, I hope that maybe you can turn yourself in or just stop what you’re doing. I mean, like you give up already,” Jeannine Jaramillo said.

On Tuesday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Padgett Macis asked New Mexico State Police investigator Wyatt Harwell if he ever found Mark Lopez or got any leads.

“Did you find a Mark Lopez?”

Wyatt Harwell: “No, ma’am.”

“Any community member come forward with any leads or information as to who this Mark Lopez is or was.”

Wyatt Harwell: “Never.”

As one of the main investigators on the case, Harwell sat on the stand for hours. He led the initial interview with Jaramillo before police arrested her and explained why he didn’t believe her story.

“It became more and more evident that she was being less than truthful about her statement. Too many things weren’t lining up,” Harwell said.

Macis also introduced two letters Jaramillo sent to police and asked Harwell to read it out loud.

“I’m being accused of murdering two people. I can barely say that, because it is not true. I made some poor decisions. I was scared on drugs, and never thought for one second that running away would have resulted in this situation.”

Harwell testified that those letters are the first time Jaramillo admitted to not only driving but driving a stolen vehicle.

Her trial is set to pick back up Wednesday and last through Friday.