Authorities are tight-lipped about what happened inside a vacant Wheatland liquor store overnight Saturday that sent one person to an out-of-town hospital and another to jail on a pending burglary charge.
The Wheatland Police Department warned the public early Sunday morning via social media that an area near South Street and 15th Street was closed for an investigation. A later afternoon post says the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and Platte County Sheriff’s Office helped with the investigation, and the road closures were lifted.
A local radio station reported, also Sunday, that two male burglars got in a fight inside the former Big A liquor store, and one died from his injuries.
The outlet had called it a "murder," according to the police.
That information is “less than factual and seemed to be based on rumor,” says a Monday morning statement by the Wheatland Police Department.
Twelve minutes before midnight Saturday evening, police officers and Platte County Sheriff’s personnel responded to the neighborhood near the former Big A complex to investigate a noise disturbance, the statement says.
The door to the Big A building had been broken, and officers found an injured person inside the building. That person was taken to the Platte County Memorial Hospital, then to another medical facility for care, says the statement.
Authorities did not confirm that person’s condition by publication time. The Platte County coroner did not immediately return a voicemail request for comment.
The person “causing the noise disturbance” was also hospitalized briefly in Platte County, treated then released into police custody — with authorities recommending a charge of burglary, it says.
As of Monday, three people listed on the Platte County Detention Center’s booking roster had been ascribed a June 15 booking date, and one of those has a pending burglary charge, the roster says.
The inmate’s name is Markus David Gallegos. His age is given as 39. His state court file doesn’t show any past criminal or civil filings in Wyoming state courts.
The Wheatland Circuit Court had not seen a charge filed in the incident as of mid-morning Monday, a clerk’s employee said.
Platte County Attorney Doug Weaver did not return a phone message request for comment by publication time.
Police Chief Bradley Otte did not return a phone message request for comment by publication time either, and his official statement posted Monday says “this incident is still an ongoing investigation, and no further information will be released at this time.”
A Head Scratcher For Neighbors
Neighbors who own property in the area of the incident didn’t know much about it Monday either, a few of them told Cowboy State Daily.
Dallas Mount, who owns a business in that neighborhood but does not live there, said investigators had roped off a parking lot he owns Sunday, and were scrutinizing the ground closely as if searching for something.
Mount approached and said, “I own that parking lot you guys are in, anything I need to know?” he recalled in a Monday phone interview.
The official answer, he said, was “Nope, nothing you need to know.”
Mount confirmed that the Big A building is a closed-down liquor store and restaurant that still contains items that could interest a burglar.
“When you walked by and pressed your face against the glass, you’d see a still fully stocked liquor store,” he said.
The Big A’s last tax report to the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office was in 2023. After that, the business’ state registration was dissolved, says that office’s website.
Jason Querry, who owns a car wash in the area, said his daughter noticed the police tape “all over the place” Sunday, but the area was reopened that afternoon.
“We don’t know the whole story, to be honest with you,” said Querry. “Nobody does yet.”
That’s not for a lack of talking with other shop owners in the area, he said.
One thing is for certain, said Querry: something “went south” in the liquor store.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
