Las Cruces police are continuing to investigate Sunday’s double-homicide on the East Mesa while an arrest has been made in the double-homicide that occurred on Wofford Drive.
Source: City of Las Cruces
Luis G. Noyola, 46, was arrested Sunday, June 23, and is charged with two felony counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his father, 88-year-old Francisco Javier Noyola, and brother, 51-year-old Lucio Noyola. Luis Noyola is also charged with two counts of tampering with evidence.
A news release sent Sunday inadvertently listed Luis Noyola’s age as 45.
Investigators believe Luis Noyola used a hammer to kill his father and brother and then tried to clean the crime scene. His sister called police about 11 a.m. Sunday and asked for a welfare check. Police arrived to find Francisco and Lucio dead inside the home.
Luis Noyola was detained by police at the scene, on the 1100 block of Wofford Drive. He subsequently acknowledged his involvement in the deaths of his father and brother.
Meanwhile, police are continuing to investigate the double homicide that occurred about 12:30 a.m. Sunday on the city’s East Mesa at the intersection of Avenida del Sol and Cortez Drive.
Police arrived to find 26-year-old Jonathan Pena and his sister, 23-year-old Jacinya Pena, who were both shot while inside a vehicle. Jonathan Pena was pronounced dead on scene. Jacinya Pena was transported to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
A 15-year-old girl, seated in the backseat of the vehicle, was struck by shrapnel and received relatively minor injuries.
Anyone with information on who may be responsible for the deaths of Jonathan Pena and Jacinya Pena is asked to call police at (575) 526-0795.
