HELICOPTER PILOT SKYJACKED AND THEN PROSECUTED IN NEW MEXICO
Charles Bella a charter helicopter pilot may be the front runner for the malicious prosecution case of the century. Bella, based in El Paso, Texas took a call at his company for what appeared to be a routine charter call to show some real estate in New Mexico. On July 11, 1988, Bella ferried his "Gazelle" copter to the Santa Fe, New Mexico airport where he met his client. At this point one of the most bizarre cases of skyjacking of record begins to unfold, followed by one of the most bizarre cases of malicious prosecution of the skyjacking victim ever recorded.
Bella landed the Gazelle at the Santa Fe airport. Beverly Shoemaker identifying herself as secretary of real estate group boarded the helicopter. After getting airborne, Shoemaker pulled a gun and skyjacked the copter. She informed Bella they would be flying to the state penitentiary to assist in a prisoner escape. Bella at gunpoint landed the copter in the prison yard where three inmates boarded. The overloaded copter barely lifted above the prison fence in takeoff. Bella, still at gunpoint flew south to the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. At this point Bella was handcuffed to the helicopter by one of the inmates. At the direction of his captors, Bella flew to Los Lunas, New Mexico about twenty miles south of Albuquerque. There they landed at the Mid-Valley Air Park. Everyone aboard scrambled off the copter except Bella who remained handcuffed to the copter.
At this point the copter was converged upon by special agents. One of the escapees boarded the copter and placed a gun to the head of Bella and ordered him to take off. Bella lifted the copter into the air and was shot at by the special agents with one round hitting the Gazelle. A forty five minute chase ensued with special agents in copter. The chase was joined by New Mexico State police in their copter. Bella stated a mid-air collision was narrowly averted. Bella landed the Gazelle at Albuquerque International airport. Both the escapee and Bella were taken into custody and transported to the customs office in Albuquerque.
The evidence showed Bella was handcuffed and was the victim of a skyjacking at gunpoint. Unbelievably, Bella was charged by the DA's office with three counts of assisting escape from the penitentiary and conspiracy to assist escape, all felonies under the laws of the State of New Mexico.
On July 22, 1988, after a preliminary hearing, Bella was bound over to stand trial on the charges. On August 24, 1989 a nine day jury trial acquitted Bella of all the charges. Bella filed a civil rights lawsuit on August 24, 1992 against the State of New Mexico and all the parties involved including the lawyer prosecutors who charged him and prosecuted him.