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Las Cruces 18-Year-Old Charged in Alleged Shooting During Planned Gun Theft

Court records cite Instagram messages about a planned gun burglary as the basis for attempted murder as well as evidence-tampering counts.

Overview

  • Police say Evan Gabriel Martinez, 18, shot 15-year-old Elijah Donovan Herrera in the back early Oct. 13 as they walked near Dos Vistas and Arena.
  • Herrera was hospitalized in El Paso with serious injuries not believed to be life-threatening, according to investigators.
  • Affidavits state messages on Herrera’s phone detailed plans to meet in an alley by Parkhill Drive to burglarize a friend’s home for firearms.
  • The messages indicated the back door would be left open and that the pair intended to sell any guns they stole, court documents say.
  • Officers arrested Martinez at his Agate Street residence, recovering clothing and a 9 mm handgun; he refused to speak with police and is held without bond at the Doña Ana County Detention Center while on probation.