Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
• Police: Suspect
charged with two
homicides in Arizona.
A suspect in Clovis' latest homicide was arrested Monday on a murder warrant out of Pima County, Ariz.
Police declined to release the suspect's name because of his juvenile status, but said he's 17 and charged with two homicides in the Tucson area.
The teen has not been charged in connection with the weekend shooting death of Clovis' Isayah Montano, 18, but police identified him as a suspect in a Monday night news release.
The 17-year-old is also charged with armed robbery and minor in possession of a firearm in Arizona.
He is being held in a juvenile detention facility, police said Monday.
Montano was shot twice late Saturday night and found in an open field near a basketball court and apartment complex at 2101 W. Grand Ave., according to police reports.
An officer responding to the scene said Montano was shot just above his right hip and in his left knee. He died at Plains Regional Medical Center about four hours later.
Witnesses told police they saw the victim fall after he'd been shot and then saw the shooter jump a short white pipe fence and run to the east.
One witness said she saw two individuals run between buildings toward the south. "She stated they ran to the open field and the person that was chasing shot the male twice and then (ran) off," according to a criminal incident report obtained by The News.
The victim spoke briefly to police but declined to provide information about the incident. Clovis hospital officials were preparing to transfer Montano to a Lubbock hospital when he died, the report states.
Police reports obtained Tuesday do not state how the suspect came to be arrested.
The slaying marks Clovis' eighth homicide this year and fifth since June 19.
Status of the court cases involving the city's other slayings, according to the district attorney's office:
Aug. 4: Javier Jimenez, 39, was found shot to death in the 700 block of Dawn Loop. A woman who described herself as his "ex" told police she shot him after calling 911 to report a burglary in progress. Jimenez had been accused of trespassing on the property multiple times.
The woman was detained but not charged. District Attorney Quentin Ray said he will present her case to a grand jury Oct. 20 to determine if she will face charges.
July 9: A man from Honduras, working in Clovis, was shot to death after two people tried to rob him in a vehicle parked in the 900 block of West Ninth Street. Isaac Salguero, 31, was dead when police were called to the scene.
One day later, police arrested Alex Zapata, 25, who was charged with first-degree murder. Police said they believe at least one other person was also involved and will "most likely" also face murder charges if captured; that suspect remained unidentified this week. Zapata is being held in the Curry County Adult Detention Center without bail. No trial date has been set.
July 2: Ruben Mireles, 41, was shot to death in what the suspect described as an accident after an argument. Mireles was found with a bullet wound to the chest. He died at Plains Regional Medical Center.
Police arrested Jessie Ruiz, tracking him via his jail-issued electronic ankle monitor, which placed him at the scene of the shooting and the home where he was arrested.
Ruiz is being held at CCADC. His trial is scheduled July 29-Aug 2.
June 19: Timothy Newbrough, 18, was found shot to death on the couch of his Clovis home. A 14-year-old boy was arrested the next day and charged with murder.
Prosecutors have filed notice of intent to seek adult sanctions against the teen. He is being detained at an undisclosed location. Trial is scheduled Jan. 22-26.
April 10: Mathew Nelson, 22, was shot to death as he attempted to break up a fight at the Clovis Apartments. Patrick Quinones, 21, an airman stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, was arrested and initially charged with second-degree murder that same night.
Charges have been reduced to voluntary manslaughter and Quinones has relocated to Louisiana. Trial is set for Nov. 18-22, 2024.
Jan. 18: A 68-year-old woman was stabbed to death at Love's Travel Center in Clovis. Roxie Edwards' husband, Lloyd Edwards, was charged with killing her. Lloyd Edwards was "not acting coherent" when arrested, police said.
Lloyd Edwards is charged with murder in the second degree and is being held at CCADC without bond.
His trial is set for Jan. 22-26.
Jan. 1: Oscar Trujillo was fatally shot in the head by a man he'd been conversing with on social media. Police initially arrested Michael Downs of Littlefield and charged him with murder. After reviewing home-security video from the Northglen and Wilmington area, authorities determined Downs was acting in self-defense and charges were dropped.
