The quest for justice continues as the Las Cruces Police Department renews its appeal to the public six months after the tragic shooting of 52-year-old Benjamin Uribe; in a crime that has, up to this point, left more questions than answers, a reward is being announced for any information that might lead to a break in this case. According to their statement, Crime Stoppers of Las Cruces-Doña Ana County is offering up to $1,000 for tips that could illuminate the suspect or suspects in the July 2024 homicide which to this day evades closure and envelops the community in unease, as detailed by the City of Las Cruces.
Details of the incident, which unfolded around 2 p.m. on a balmy July 17th and rattled the 900 block of south Melendres Street, remain etched in the minds of residents, the sound of a vehicle careening through multiple yards, the shocking finality of it coming to rest with Benjamin Uribe, its driver, fighting for his life inside this unwarranted and cruel twist of fate Uribe didn't survive, having been shot before the crash, the sequence of events that day ended with a community shaken and a family in mourning, grappling for answers. The vehicle mentioned, a silver or gray sedan that remains unidentified beyond the color and the four doors that encase it, along with its unknown passengers at the time, was last seen in surveillance images which detectives are studying in hopes of glimpsing a lead.
Law enforcement's bid for assistance from locals comes with an emphasis on the confidential nature of the tip submission, Las Cruces police can be reached at (575) 526-0795 for direct information while those preferring the veil of anonymity can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or use the "P3 TIPS" app, designed to help witnesses share what they know without fear of being revealed, the app can be downloaded from the App Store on most devices, and stands as a modern conduit for the ancient civic duty of aiding the quest for justice.
