Las Cruces police have arrested the suspect believed to be responsible for the Dec. 23 shooting that resulted in the death of 23-year-old Steven Alarcon.
Source: City of Las Cruces “News Release”
Xavier Noe Altamirano, 20, was arrested Tuesday, Jan. 23, on a warrant. Altamirano is charged with a second-degree felony count of murder and one second-degree felony count of shooting at or from a motor vehicle.
Shortly before 11 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 23, Las Cruces police were dispatched to the parking lot of Top Crop at 2240 E. Lohman Ave. Officers arrived to find 23-year-old Steven Alarcon deceased in the parking lot of Top Crop.
Through their investigation, Las Cruces Police Department detectives learned that Altamirano was a passenger in a blue GMC Sierra 1500 that was driven by Jesus Adan Herrera. Investigators learned that Herrera and Alarcon got into a verbal argument.
Investigators learned that, as the argument escalated and Alarcon stood near the driver’s side window of the GMC Sierra, Altamirano discharged several rounds from the passenger seat of the pickup through the open driver’s-side window of the pickup.
Alarcon was struck by the gunfire and tried running away before collapsing in the parking lot. The GMC Sierra left the scene before police arrived.
Investigators obtained a significant amount of evidence that positively identified Herrera as the driver of the GMC Sierra and Altamirano as the front-seat passenger and shooter.
Herrera was arrested Dec. 27 and charged with multiple felonies including tampering with evidence, violating terms of his probation, conspiracy to commit a second-degree felony and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Herrera and Altamirano are both being held without bond at the Dona Ana County Detention Center.
