A 34-year-old man and his 11-year-old son were shot Sunday afternoon when a driver opened fire on their vehicle near South Solano Drive and Missouri Avenue in Las Cruces, according to police. Officers say the attack was unprovoked, and within minutes of the shooting, the suspect allegedly turned up at his own children's mother's home, breaking a window and trying to pull a child through the opening before fleeing across state lines.
Las Cruces police and fire crews responded to the report of a drive-by shooting around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, per KVIA. Investigators identified the driver as 26-year-old Jesus Angel Cortez, who was allegedly behind the wheel of a charcoal-colored Dodge Durango when he fired several shots into the father and son's vehicle, according to Organ Mountain News. Investigators said the victims did not know Cortez and had no prior interaction with him before the shooting.
Father Struck Directly, Son Hit By Shrapnel
The father was hit by gunfire at least once, while his 11-year-old son suffered shrapnel injuries to his face and arms, according to a report from 96.3 KKOB. Both were treated and released from a local hospital, police said. The distinction between the father's direct wound and the son's shrapnel injuries offers a clearer picture of how close the two came to far worse harm inside their own vehicle.
Police say the shooting appears to have been random, with no dispute or relationship linking Cortez to the victims before he allegedly opened fire on their car near the busy Solano Drive corridor. It is not the first time that stretch of Las Cruces has seen deadly vehicle violence: the City of Las Cruces documented a fatal road-rage shooting in June 2025 near Solano Drive and Spruce Avenue that killed 14-year-old passenger Alejandro Roman.
Break-In at Children's Mother's Home Followed Minutes Later
According to police, Cortez went to the home of his children's mother shortly after the shooting. He allegedly broke a window and tried to forcibly pull a child out through the broken glass before dropping a handgun at the scene and fleeing, KVIA reported. The break-in escalated the incident from a random act of gunfire against strangers into an alleged targeted domestic confrontation involving his own family.
Las Cruces police obtained a warrant for Cortez's arrest and later found and detained him in El Paso, Texas. He is currently held without bond at the El Paso County Detention Center, according to the same report from KVIA.
Facing Felony Charges Across Two Separate Incidents
Cortez faces several felony charges tied to the two incidents, including one count of aggravated burglary, two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, two counts of child abuse, and a charge for shooting at or from a vehicle causing injury, per KVIA's reporting. Police said additional charges are possible as the investigation continues.
Under New Mexico law, shooting at or from a motor vehicle resulting in physical injury is a third-degree felony carrying up to three years in prison, according to Justia Law. Aggravated burglary while armed with a deadly weapon is a second-degree felony punishable by up to nine years, per FindLaw. Aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, meanwhile, is classified as a third-degree felony under state statute, according to WomensLaw.org.
Extradition Process Ahead Before Cortez Faces New Mexico Court
Because Cortez fled across state lines into Texas, he is being held under the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act while authorities arrange his return to Doña Ana County, per the Texas Constitution and Statutes. It remains unclear exactly when that transfer will be completed, and investigators have not said whether the handgun Cortez allegedly dropped at the mother's home matches the weapon used in the drive-by shooting.
The case adds to a string of vehicle-related shootings that have drawn scrutiny in Las Cruces this year. Hoodline previously reported on a task force that cleared 11 prior drive-by shootings across the city and brought federal charges against six suspects, part of a broader multi-agency push against gun violence involving vehicles in the area.
