New Mexico State Police responded to two major incidents north and west of Las Cruces on Friday, November 6, including the apprehension of an armed suspect across the Arizona state line and a three-vehicle crash near Tularosa that injured 11 people.
Armed suspect apprehended in Arizona
At approximately 12:41 p.m., State Police responded to an incident on Interstate 10 near milepost 11 in Hidalgo County, where an armed man had forcibly entered a pickup truck towing a fifth-wheel camper and threatened to kill its occupants.
During the investigation, officers discovered an abandoned black GMC Yukon facing the wrong direction on the westbound off-ramp at Exit 11. The vehicle had been reported stolen in Tempe, Arizona.
Citing an immediate threat to life and the distance to the nearest available Arizona law enforcement unit, NMSP supervisors authorized officers to cross the state line to locate the suspect and protect the victims.
At approximately 1:15 p.m., an officer located the suspect, identified as Samuel Goodrick, near milepost 375 in Cochise County. The occupants had managed to force Goodrick out of their pickup, and officers took him into custody without further incident.
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Goodrick was transported to an Arizona hospital for evaluation and remains in the custody of Arizona authorities. New Mexico State Police intend to pursue charges related to offenses committed in New Mexico.
Investigators subsequently learned that the registered owner of the stolen Yukon had been found severely beaten in Tempe. According to NMSP, Tempe Police confirmed that the victim remained on life support. NMSP referred questions about the assault to the Tempe Police Department.
Eleven injured in Tularosa-area collision
Later Friday, at approximately 4:04 p.m., State Police responded to a three-vehicle collision at U.S. 70 and Old Mescalero Road near Tularosa.
According to witnesses, 24-year-old Oren J. Shanta was driving a black Chevrolet northbound on Old Mescalero Road at a high rate of speed when he failed to stop at the intersection with U.S. 70. His vehicle struck a white van carrying 10 occupants and a silver SUV carrying three people.
Emergency personnel treated multiple patients at the scene, while firefighters worked to free three people trapped inside the van.
At least nine people, including Shanta, were transported to a local hospital. Two additional van passengers were airlifted to a hospital in El Paso.
Officers reported detecting the odor of alcohol while speaking with Shanta and observing other indications of possible impairment. Following an investigation, he was arrested and charged with great bodily harm by vehicle (DWI) and reckless driving.
No fatalities were reported. The conditions of those injured were not available at the time of the State Police announcement.
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