Clovis man among charged inmates

LAS CRUCES — A Clovis man convicted in 2014 of manslaughter was among prison inmates charged with attempted murder last week in Las Cruces.

Rico Sena, 32, and four others allegedly attacked a sergeant and officer at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility on June 16 after a nurse finished passing out medication in their pod.

Inmates “congregated around the pod door” when prison staff attempted to place them into lockdown and were ultimately subdued with “less lethal shotgun and pepper ball grenades,” according to a news release from state police.

The two correctional officers suffered “severe non-life-threatening injuries” and the nurse was not injured, said the release.

Five inmates were each charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault on a peace officer, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Among those five, Sena and Gabriel Sedillo, 47, were also each charged with attempted murder and possession of a deadly weapon.

Sena was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in December 2014 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for the March 2013 stabbing death of 17-year-old Devin Saiz.