A female accomplice of Babitz, whose name and age are unknown at this time, fled from the crash and has not yet been identified or located. She was last seen on the 2400 block of Missouri Avenue in Las Cruces, and it appears she cut her hair, a braid, to avoid being recognized.
Anyone with information on the identity or whereabouts of the woman who was with Babitz is asked to call police at (575) 526-0795.
Source: City of Las Cruces
Details on Saturdays Arrest:
A Santa Fe, N.M., murder suspect was arrested Saturday evening in Las Cruces but not before he and an accomplice allegedly committed an armed robbery at local fast-food restaurant and carjacked a Chevrolet Impala from a woman.
Zachary Ryan Babitz, 38, was booked in the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he is held on a warrant from Santa Fe that charges him with a felony count of murder, robbery, felon in possession of a firearm and parole violation.
Babitz still faces several felony charges for incidents that occurred in Las Cruces. Las Cruces police are still investigating the incidents that occurred locally.
Police have learned that Babitz was released from prison in March 2024 and has an extensive criminal history.
About 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, Las Cruces police learned of an armed robbery that occurred at Arby’s, 2341 E. Lohman Ave. Police learned a man and woman entered the restaurant where the man pointed a firearm at an employee and demanded money.
After leaving the restaurant, the couple allegedly forced a woman out of her vehicle at gunpoint at 2305 E. Lohman Ave. Shortly thereafter, the stolen vehicle crashed near Missouri Avenue and Triviz Drive.
Both suspects fled from the crash. Police located and detained Babitz nearby. His female accomplice has yet to be identified or located.
The woman whose car was stolen near Arby’s was not physically injured.
In Santa Fe, Babitz is wanted for the Aug. 6, 2024, fatal shooting of 83-year-old Gordon Peter Wilson. For specifics on the crimes Babitz is suspected of committing in Santa Fe, please contact the Santa Fe Police Department.
Police also learned the car Babitz and his female accomplice drove to the Arby’s restaurant was reported stolen out of Albuquerque. For more information on that incident, contact the Albuquerque Police Department.
From the Albuquerque Police Department:
August 09, 2024
ALBUQUERQUE – APD detectives charged Zachary Babitz for the July 31, 2024, robbery of a Wells Fargo bank in Northeast Albuquerque. Babitz has been identified by Santa Fe police as the suspect in its homicide investigation in which an elderly man was murdered during a carjacking on Aug. 6.
APD robbery detectives were investigating the July 31 robbery and attempting to determine the identity of the suspect when they learned about the murder in Santa Fe on Aug. 6. Detectives were told by Santa Fe police that the murder suspect was headed toward Albuquerque. Later that night, Santa Fe police shared the tentative identification of Babitz and the location in Albuquerque of the jeep he stole. Detectives established a perimeter around the vehicle and conducted surveillance.
During their surveillance, APD detectives learned additional details about Babitz’ physical appearance, current and previous home addresses and the gold colored Chevrolet Tahoe that was registered to Babitz. A robbery detective recognized the descriptors and description of the vehicle, which were consistent with witness accounts of the bank robbery on July 31.
Babitz was not located during the surveillance, but robbery detectives started investigating his background and searched license plate readers for the gold Chevrolet Tahoe. They learned that Babitz’ vehicle was in the area of the bank when it was robbed and he lived near the Wells Fargo, located at 11199 Montgomery Blvd., N.E.
APD detectives shared information with Santa Fe police and learned that Babitz was probation from an armed robbery conviction. He was required to wear a GPS ankle monitor, but cut it off prior to the murder in Santa Fe. However, he was wearing the monitor when the bank was robbed on July 31.
The GPS data confirmed Babitz was at the bank when it was robbed at 1:55 p.m. Detectives obtained photos of the bank robber and determined they matched photos from MVD and from jail booking slips.
Babitz is charged with armed robbery and tampering with evidence for the bank robbery.
Santa Fe police have charged Babitz for murder, armed robbery, unlawful taking of a vehicle or motor vehicle and felon in possession of a firearm.
From Santa Fe Police Department (on Facebook):
Best Buy Murder Suspect Arrested In Las Cruces
Santa Fe, NM – August 11, 2024, On Saturday, August 10, 2024, at approximately 6:33 p.m., Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority received an armed robbery at an Arby’s located at 2341 E. Lohman in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The suspects, Zachary Babitz and an unknown female, fled the area and committed a secondary armed robbery (carjacking), taking a Silver Impala. They then crashed in the vehicle, and attempted to flee on foot, but the Las Cruces Police Department was able to apprehend Mr. Babitz outside of 2445 Missouri Avenue. The unidentified female was not apprehended and is still being searched for.
Mr. Babitz was arrested on an arrest warrant obtained by the Santa Fe Police Department for the fatal shooting of 83-year old Gordon Peter Wilson of Santa Fe. Mr. Babitz has been criminally charged with Murder Willful and Deliberate, Armed Robbery, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Mr. Babitz was also booked on a second arrest warrant for a Robbery that occurred in Bernalillo County. Additional charges will be forthcoming from the Las Cruces Police Department concerning the events in Las Cruces.
Mr. Babitz was recently released from prison in March of this year. He has an extensive criminal history, including Possession of a Controlled Substance, Robbery, Possession of a Deadly Weapon or Explosive by a Prisoner, Receiving or Transferring a Stolen Motor Vehicle, and Out-of-State Fugitive criminal charges.
The Santa Fe Police Department would like to thank the Las Cruces Police Department for apprehending Mr. Babitz and taking a dangerous repeat criminal off the streets.
For further information on the incidents in Las Cruces, please contact City of Las Cruces Public Information Officer, Dan Trujillo, at (575) 636-5639 or dtrujillo@lascruces.gov
