Arrest made in region's eighth homicide

An arrest has been made in the area's eighth homicide of 2022.

Curry County Sheriff Wesley Waller issued a news release Tuesday afternoon reporting "as a result of the on-going investigation into the murder of Ismael Zachery Martinez, Cesar Rascon-Chacon, 23, has been arrested and charged with murder, a first-degree felony; felon in possession of a firearm, a third-degree felony and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony."

At the time of his arrest, Rascon-Chacon was incarcerated at the Curry County Adult Detention Center for a probation violation.

Waller repeated from earlier information that a person of interest, Eduardo Blanco, 27, is still being sought for questioning.

Waller said the investigation is continuing and additional arrests are anticipated.

Martinez, 27, was found about 2:30 p.m. Friday in a field near the former Swift plant at the intersection of Curry Roads K and 8. Officials said he'd been shot and was dead when sheriff's deputies found him.

"I cannot reveal how many times he was shot as that is critical to the investigation," District Attorney Brian Stover wrote in a text message to The News.

"It is believed that he was not shot in the field."

Sheriff Wesley Waller stated in a news release the Ninth Judicial District Major Crimes Unit has been activated and is assisting with the homicide investigation.

Waller named four people of interest in the case and said authorities had located three of them by Tuesday. Rascon-Chacon and Mi'Linda Gallegos, 20, were arrested over the weekend on parole violations. The sheriff said authorities have "made contact" with a third person of interest.

Waller said investigators are still looking for Eduardo Blanco, 27, for questioning.

Waller said Blanco is 5-foot-7 inches tall, 170 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Officials asked anyone with information regarding Blanco contact the Sheriff's Office at 575-769-2335 or Curry County Crime Stoppers at 575-763-7000.

"We could really use help with this one," Stover said.

The Martinez homicide is the Clovis area's eighth in 2022.