Suicide of former priest halts federal child sexual abuse case
May 24—A former Santa Fe priest arrested last year for allegedly sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy more than a decade ago took his own life shortly before a plea hearing scheduled for Friday morning, his attorney confirmed.
Daniel Balizan, 62, a former pastor of Santa Maria de la Paz Catholic Community in Santa Fe, was indicted in June by a federal grand jury for a reported case of child sexual abuse in 2012, according to the indictment.
Balizar killed himself at his home in Springer the night before he was scheduled to plead guilty to a federal charge of coercion and enticement of a minor, said Dan Cron, Balizan's attorney.
Cron said he learned of his client's death Friday morning while driving from Santa Fe to Albuquerque for the 10 a.m. plea hearing in U.S. District Court.
"I am shocked by this," Cron said in a phone interview. "I had no indication from him that he was considering this course of action."
Balizan had faced a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison under a plea agreement negotiated with federal prosecutors, Cron said.
Balizan was fighting a motion filed earlier this month by the U.S. Attorney's Office seeking to incarcerate him while he awaited sentencing.
A federal magistrate judge in July ordered Balizan released on home arrest in Springer in the custody of a brother while he awaited trial.
The Archdiocese of Santa Fe issued a statement Friday expressing condolences to Balizan's family.
"His tragic decision to end his life underscores the far-reaching and devastating consequences of the crime of child abuse — affecting victims, their loved ones, and even perpetrators themselves," the statement said.
"The Archdiocese of Santa Fe reiterates its steadfast commitment to a zero-tolerance policy regarding the sexual abuse of children and adults," it said.
A Tennessee man filed a lawsuit in 2022 alleging that Balizan sexually assaulted him a decade earlier when he was 15 years old. The alleged abuse occurred on the premises of Santa Maria de la Paz Church, where Balizan served as pastor from 2012 to 2022, according to the suit.
As a result of the allegation, Balizan was removed from his post as pastor in July 2022.
Balizan was arrested last June 29 on the federal charge. At his July 3 arraignment, about 50 people packed a federal courtroom in Albuquerque in a show of support for Balizan.
Federal Magistrate Judge Laura Fashing rejected a request from prosecutors who had asked that Balizan be held in custody while awaiting trial.
Prosecutors introduced text messages that Balizan allegedly wrote to the 15-year-old boy expressing his love for the youth and concern for his own reputation.
"I don't want my name all over the papers or my reputation ruined because I fell in love with a minor," Balizan allegedly wrote in a text message to the boy on Sept. 4, 2012.
"Like I told you before, I only feel bad because of your age," Balizan allegedly wrote in another text message in September 2012. "... If you were 18 or over, I wouldn't feel bad at all because I do love you."
On May 17, federal prosecutors filed a motion seeking Balizan's detention while he awaited sentencing.
In his response, Cron wrote that Balazan had complied with all the conditions of his release during his 11 months living in Springer.
"While on Home Detention, Mr. Balizan has done bookkeeping, housekeeping and groundskeeping work at the small family hotel" in Springer, Cron wrote. "He also has been visiting and assisting his 89-year-old mother three days a week."
The case marked the second time since 2017 that the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Mexico has indicted a priest or former priest on charges related to the sexual abuse of a minor.
In April 2019, a federal jury in Santa Fe found former St. Bernadette parish pastor Arthur Perrault guilty of seven counts of aggravated abuse or assault of a 10-year-old boy dating back to the 1990s. Now 86, Perrault remains in federal prison.
Because the crimes occurred on federal property, including Kirtland Air Force Base, federal authorities had the jurisdiction to prosecute.
