Latest news with #LasCrucesPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Murder suspect arrested in connection to Las Cruces shooting on Picacho Ave.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) — The Las Cruces Police Department has taken a murder suspect into custody following a deadly shooting on Tuesday. Police say Pancho Garcia, 35, has been booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center where he is being charged with an open count of murder. Story continues below New Mexico Crime Files: Grocery store worker hands out semen-tainted yogurt Film: These productions were filmed at White Sands. Have you seen them? New Mexico News Insiders: Who Will Fix New Mexico's Mental Health Problems? News: Governor's Office: Operation Zia Shield is different than situation in California Slightly after 8:30 a.m., police and fire were dispatched to the intersection of Picacho and 17th Street in response to shots fired. First responders found Juan Javier Lujan Garces, 29, in his vehicle with at least one gunshot wound. Garces was pronounced dead on the scene. Police say Garcia barricaded himself in a first-floor room of a motel in the 1700 block of west Picacho Avenue following the shooting. A perimeter was set up. Las Cruces police activated its SWAT and hostage negotiation teams. Nearby residents were asked to evacuate and residents who lived further away were asked to shelter in place. Multiple attempts were made to contact Garcia, according to police. SWAT team members breached a window at about 11:30 a.m. Garcia left the room shortly after and was taken into custody. Police say no shots were fired by police and no other injuries were reported. West Picacho Avenue is now clear and open to traffic. Garcia is currently being held without bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Las Cruces Police release operation stats for May
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Las Cruces Police Department says it made 58 felony arrests, 59 misdemeanor arrests, and seized nearly 55 grams of methamphetamine in its first two months of their 'Operation Not In Vain' which is a crime reduction project to commemorate the life of Las Cruces Police Department Officer Jonah Hernandez who was killed in the line of duty in February 2024. Through May, officers working the operation made 500 traffic stops resulting in 128 citations, recovered eight stolen firearms, located four stolen vehicles, seized narcotics in four separate searches, issued 28 trespass warnings, and executed eight search or arrest warrants, the Police Department said. The operation so far has also recorded 384 consensual contacts with citizens, 61 contacts with businesses, and has generated 72 incident reports, the Police Department said. Besides the 54.5 grams of methamphetamine seized, officers also seized 32.6 grams of fentanyl and two grams of cocaine, the Police Department said. 'The operation is a months-long crime reduction project in memory of fallen Las Cruces Police Department Officer Jonah Hernandez, who was killed in the line of duty Feb. 11, 2024,' the Police Department said. The operation began on April 28 and is anticipated to run through August. 'The operation is utilizing law enforcement personnel and resources from the Las Cruces Police Department, New Mexico State Police, the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office, New Mexico State University Police, the Third Judicial District Attorney's Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office along with several federal agencies,' the Police Department said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Las Cruces Police: 14-year-old dead after alleged road rage shooting
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A 14-year-old boy is dead after a shooting 'believed to have stemmed from a road rage incident' on Monday evening, June 2, in Las Cruces, the Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD) said in a news release. LCPD said that at 9 p.m. on Monday, officers were dispatched to reports of shots fired near the intersection of Solano Drive and Spruce Avenue. Officers arrived to find a 14-year-old boy suffering from at least one gunshot wound. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene, according to LCPD. The name of the victim is being withheld for now as police continue to gather more information and contact the family, LCPD said. LCPD said investigators believe the incident stemmed from a road rage confrontation, though the exact circumstances remain under investigation. No arrests have been made at this time. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact police at (575) 526-0795. Information can be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Las Cruces-Dona Ana County at 1-800-222-8477. Tips can also be provided through the Las Cruces Crime Stoppers app, 'P3 TIPS.' The app is available through the App Store on most devices. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former LCPD officer Felipe Hernandez goes on trial June 2. Here's what to know
On June 2, 2025, former Las Cruces Police Department officer Felipe Hernandez will face a jury trial for his involvement in the death of 45-year-old Teresa Gomez in 2023. Hernandez is charged with second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement. He is accused of allegedly shooting Gomez in October 2023. Body camera footage showed Hernandez firing at Gomez several times as Gomez attempted to drive away after an interaction at an apartment. Former Doña Ana County District Attorney Gerald Byers announced charges in January 2024. Hernandez is no longer employed by LCPD, according to the City of Las Cruces. He was a LCPD officer for eight years and was assigned to the Community Outreach unit. The criminal trial, originally scheduled for December 2024, was moved to June 2025. The trial is scheduled to last four days with 3rd Judicial District Court judge Richard Jacquez presiding. On Oct. 3, 2023, Hernandez was bicycle patrolling when he approached Gomez, who was sitting on the driver side of a parked vehicle with Jesus Garcia in the passenger seat. They were parked outside a public housing complex. Hernandez shouted various expletives and commands at the two people, threatening to use his stun gun on them if they did not comply, according to the incident report. After several minutes of exchanges, exiting and returning to the vehicle, Gomez was attempting to drive away when Hernandez shot at her three times. Court records note that Gomez's manner of death is listed as homicide by the University of New Mexico Office of the Medical Examiner. The cause of death is reported to be 'gunshot wound of chest.' 'What we can tell you is that from the very beginning of Mr. Hernandez's interactions with Ms. Gomez, ability to manage protocol is non-existent. His interactions with her just on a human level was exceptionally subpar and certainly did not meet the standards that LCPD demands of its officers when they are encountering civilians in the field,' Byers said. In November 2024, the Sun-News reported on a $20 million settlement to a wrongful death lawsuit that the estate of Teresa Gomez filed in January 2024 in U.S. District Court. The settlement is the largest civil lawsuit in the history of the City. The City of Las Cruces, Hernandez, the Las Cruces Police Department, LCPD Chief Jeremy Story, former chief Miguel Dominguez and Deputy Chief Sean Mullen were listed as defendants. In January 2025, Las Cruces City Council approved a financing option to pay out the settlement. Per the November 2024 settlement agreement, the City has already issued an initial $2 million from the City legal department liability fund. The remaining monies will be financed through the issuance and sale of Taxable Municipal Gross Receipts Tax Revenue Bonds. The move will not raise taxes. Hernandez has also filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the Las Cruces Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #8. The lawsuit states that a portion of Union dues are used for a legal defense fund for officers who are involved in officer involved shootings. The lawsuit was filed on March 12, 2025. According to court documents, Hernandez applied for legal defense funding, but was denied due to what Union representatives described as a lapse in dues in March 2022 that had not been re-instated. According to the lawsuit, Hernandez said his dues were current. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: LCPD officer Felipe Hernandez tried in homicide of Teresa Gomez
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bridging the Badge highlights ‘constitutional policing'
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Las Cruces Police Department's legal adviser Erik Scramlin will be the guest speaker during the next Bridging the Badge livestream scheduled for Tuesday, May 20. The Bridging the Badge livestream begins at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 20 and can be viewed on the Las Cruces Police Department's Facebook page and on the City of Las Cruces' YouTube channel. Scramlin will discuss 'What is Constitutional Policing and Why it Matters.' This episode of Bridging the Badge will focus on LCPD's goal of providing significant training in legal education and the importance of protecting civil rights while enforcing the law. Questions for LCPD and Scramlin can be left in the comments on LCPD's Facebook page. Bridging the Badge programs are intended to promote understanding, collaboration, and informed dialogue on topics important to residents of Las Cruces, the Las Cruces Police said. Each livestream is anticipated to last about one hour. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
