Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Clovis Police Officer Brent Aguilar arrives on the scene with K-9 Leo to search for a suspect in hiding Friday afternoon on the 500 block of Sheldon Street.
CLOVIS — Police on Friday afternoon arrested a man suspected of shooting his girlfriend southeast of the Clovis Area Transit System station.
Chief Doug Ford said officers arrested Joshua Martinez, 32, about 2:30 p.m. He is suspected of shooting Charity Helker, 32, about 90 minutes earlier.
Helker suffered wounds to her head and wrist and was in surgery at Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis to remove a bullet from under her scalp, Ford said.
In a press release, police said Helker was sitting on the curb in front of a residence on the 500 block of Sheldon Street, where she had been shot twice following an argument with Martinez.
Helker told police, "she was trying to fend Martinez off when the gun went off striking her in the arm/wrist area." Helker said the gun was then fired a second time and she was hit in the head.
Police cordoned off an area near the 500 blocks of Axtell and Wallace streets for nearly two hours while they searched for Martinez after the shooting was reported.
Multiple police were in the area with guns drawn. The K-9 Unit and a state trooper also assisted.
Martinez was arrested on the 1000 block of Ross Street, a few blocks north of the incident. He was booked into the Curry County Detention Center on pre-existing warrants from May 12, with a $50,000 cash-only bond.
CPD's Special Operations Unit is conducting the investigation.
Police said they would release more information as it becomes available.
