Las Cruces police arrested the man believed to be responsible for Saturday’s fatal shooting on Van Patten Avenue.
Source: City of Las Cruces “News Release”
About 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3, Las Cruces police were dispatched to the report of a gunshot victim at a home on the 300 block of Van Patten Avenue. The victim was transported to MountainView Regional Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries.
The victim was identified as 26-year-old Oscar Ramirez.
The suspect in the shooting, 40-year-old Osvaldo “Tut” Padilla Suarez, was detained by police as he jumped a wall and tried to flee from the scene of the shooting. Suarez was determined to be a resident of the small apartment complex.
Investigators learned that Ramirez was standing next to a sport utility vehicle parked on the roadway when Suarez approached, armed with rifle, and discharged one round that struck Ramirez.
After discharging the round, police believe Suarez walked toward his apartment and discarded the rifle. During the investigation, police located the firearm.
A tenant who lives in the complex told investigators that, after the shooting, Suarez instructed her to delete security video footage of the apartment complex.
Suarez was arrested and charged with a first-degree felony count of murder along with felony counts of tempering with evidence, bribery of a witness and felon in possession of a firearm.
Suarez was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he is initially being held without bond.
