Tag: Las Cruces
Matthew Albain Alarcon, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, New Mexico 2026
⏱ 2 min read Matthew Albain Alarcon, a 40-year-old Las Cruces man, fired multiple shots at St. Genevieve’s Catholic Church in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on May 4, 2026. The shooting occurred at the church’s front glass entrance, with five bullet holes and five .380 caliber shell casings found at the scene. Surveillance footage showed…
Matthew Esai Hernandez, Child Exploitation, New Mexico 2026
⏱ 2 min read Matthew Esai Hernandez, the 37-year-old son of a Las Cruces bounty hunter, has been charged with federal child exploitation offenses. The charges stem from a search warrant executed on May 12, 2026, at a Las Cruces residence as part of an ongoing human trafficking investigation connected to Robert Jay Hernandez. During…
Bounty Hunter, James Smith, Sex Trafficking, New Mexico 2022
⏱ 3 min read A ruthless New Mexico bounty hunter has been busted for exploiting vulnerable victims, including a sex trafficking scheme that left one man cowering in fear and another held at gunpoint. Robert Jay Hernandez, 62, of Las Cruces, is accused of targeting jailbirds with addiction problems and offering them a ‘sweet deal’…
Mayra Mendivil, Fentanyl Trafficking, New Mexico 2024
⏱ 3 min read A Texas woman was sentenced to time served for her role in a brazen fentanyl trafficking operation that flooded southern New Mexico with the deadly synthetic opioid. Mayra Mendivil, 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and three counts of possession with intent to distribute, all connected to her work…
Zachary Babitz, Carjacking Resulting in Death, New Mexico 2024
⏱ 3 min read A string of deadly armed robberies and carjackings terrorized New Mexico in the summer of 2024. Zachary Babitz, 40, was behind the wheel, leaving a trail of destruction and death in his wake. On July 30, Babitz burst into an AutoZone in Albuquerque, brandishing a 9mm handgun and making off with…
Moustafa Mahmoud Abdelnabi Salem, Violent Crime, New Mexico 2025
⏱ 3 min read A gas station in Las Cruces turned into a deadly showdown when a 29-year-old Egyptian national pointed a handgun at a customer on May 12, 2025. Moustafa Mahmoud Abdelnabi Salem chambered a round and pulled the trigger, but fortunately for the victim, he didn’t pull the trigger. The victim flagged down…
