Elias Bencomo-Morales, Carjacking, New Mexico 2019

Elias Bencomo-Morales, 42, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been charged with carjacking after allegedly using a gun to force a woman and her two minor children out of their vehicle in a Taco Bell drive-thru lane.

According to court documents, Bencomo-Morales approached a vehicle waiting in the Taco Bell drive-thru lane in southwest Albuquerque on September 17, 2019. He allegedly pulled on the driver's-side door handle before the driver and her two children, 5 and 1 year old, got out of the vehicle at gunpoint.

The following day, Albuquerque police pulled the SUV over because the license plate was registered to a different vehicle, and Bencomo-Morales was taken into custody.

A federal indictment and complaint charge Bencomo-Morales with carjacking, using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Bencomo-Morales made an initial appearance in federal court on Friday, August 21, and has been ordered to remain detained for trial.

The case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Trembley is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint or indictment is only an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Mandatory Facts: Defendant: Elias Bencomo-Morales, 42, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Criminal Charges: Carjacking, Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; City and State: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Exact Date: September 17, 2019; Sentence or Outcome: Currently detained for trial.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/albuquerque-man-makes-court-appearance-federal-carjacking-charges