A May shooting at a Las Cruces Catholic church has now become a federal firearms case, with prosecutors accusing a convicted felon of opening fire at the building. No one was inside St. Genevieve’s Catholic Church when the bullets struck its entrance, but investigators say the attack left multiple holes in the glass.
According to the City of Las Cruces, surveillance video from about 4:30 a.m. on May 4 showed a dark sedan pull up near the church before a man exited and fired a handgun toward the building. Police said the gunfire damaged two areas of the church, which was unoccupied at the time, and no injuries were reported.
Court documents reviewed by KVIA reportedly show five bullet holes in the glass entrance. Federal prosecutors allege the shooter was 40-year-old Matthew Albain Alarcon, who later admitted firing at the church and said he did so because of his religious beliefs.
Gun Store Investigation Connected Vehicle To Church Shooting
The investigation widened a week later, when Las Cruces police encountered a vehicle near Miller Guns and Ammo during an attempted burglary call, the city said. Officers found burglary tools and a handgun inside the vehicle, and Alarcon allegedly claimed the gun belonged to him even though it had previously been reported stolen.
Investigators compared surveillance footage from the church with the vehicle involved in the gun-store case and determined they matched, according to the city’s account. Alarcon was arrested May 14 and faced state felony counts including desecration of a church, receiving a stolen firearm, tampering with evidence, attempted burglary and conspiracy.
A search of Alarcon’s home later turned up a suspicious object containing components commonly used in an incendiary device, the city reported. The Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad collected the item for further investigation, adding another unsettling detail to a case that already had plenty.
Federal Case Focuses On Alleged Felon In Possession
The new federal charge accuses Alarcon of possessing a firearm and ammunition despite a prior New Mexico felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance, KVIA reported. He will remain in custody while the case proceeds, and no trial date has been scheduled.
If convicted of the federal firearms offense, Alarcon faces up to 15 years in prison, according to the report. The federal charge is separate from the state allegations tied to the church shooting and attempted gun-store burglary; all of the accusations remain unproven in court, and Alarcon is presumed innocent unless convicted.
