A man suspected of fatally shooting another man in Las Cruces on Tuesday has been apprehended, according to local authorities. As obtained by the City of Las Cruces, 35-year-old Pancho Garcia was arrested and is now facing an open count of murder for the death of 29-year-old Juan Javier Lujan Garces.
The incident occurred early Tuesday morning near the intersection of West Picacho Avenue and North Seventeenth Street. Police and fire departments swiftly responded to reports of shots fired at approximately 8:30 a.m. Upon arrival, they discovered Lujan Garces with at least one gunshot wound in his vehicle. Despite attempts to quickly administer life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the shooting, Garcia reportedly barricaded himself inside a room at a nearby motel located on the 1700 block of West Picacho Avenue. This situation prompted the deployment of the Las Cruces police's SWAT and hostage negotiation teams (HNT) as they set up a perimeter and began their attempt to peacefully resolve the standoff. Evacuation orders were given for neighbors close to the suspect's location, while others were advised to shelter in place.
After hours of negotiation efforts, the SWAT team was able to successfully breach a window of the motel room. "SWAT team members breached a window of the suspect’s room. Shortly thereafter, Garcia exited the room and was taken into custody," as stated by the City of Las Cruces. The arrest occurred at about 11:30 a.m., with no additional shots fired and no other injuries reported during the arrest.
The investigation into the shooting resulted in the temporary closure of a section of west Picacho Avenue. However, the road has since been reopened, and normal traffic flow has resumed following the thorough investigation of the tragic event. Pancho Garcia has been booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center and is being held without bond as the legal process continues.
