LAS CRUCES - Alfonso Rodriguez, the 32-year-old man suspected in the March 28 shooting death of Ramon Archuleta on west Picacho Avenue in Las Cruces, was arrested Tuesday by law enforcement in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
Las Cruces police were notified of Rodriguez’s arrest early Tuesday evening. Juarez police, working in coordination with the U.S. Marshals Service, located Rodriguez hiding in an abandoned warehouse. Rodriguez is expected to be extradited back to Las Cruces where he faces one first-degree felony count of murder and a third-degree felony count of tampering with evidence in the shooting death of 37-year-old Ramon Archuleta.
Rodriguez also faces felony counts of kidnapping, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for a separate incident that occurred on or about March 7. Las Cruces police were notified of that incident after the March 28 shooting made news.
About 1 a.m. March 28, Las Cruces police were dispatched to 1907 W. Picacho Ave. where officers found Archuleta on the ground, outside an apartment and unresponsive. Police determined Archuleta suffered at least one gunshot wound and was declared deceased on scene.
Investigators learned that Archuleta got into a physical confrontation with Rodriguez inside an apartment. Rodriguez allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired at least one round at Archuleta who stumbled out of the apartment and fell to the ground.
Police were told Rodriguez fled to a nearby apartment. Police surrounded the apartment and called out LCPD’s SWAT, but Rodriguez was not located. Investigators initiated a search warrant on the apartment and located a handgun inside. Police determined the handgun had been reported stolen in 2020 from an unlocked vehicle in Las Cruces.
Rodriguez’s girlfriend, 32-year-old Leanna Herrera, has yet to be located. Herrera, believed to be with Rodriguez at the time of the March 28 shooting, is 5-feet-2-inches tall and weighs approximately 170 pounds. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Leanna Herrera is asked to immediately call 911. Tips can be provided anonymously by calling Las Cruces Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Tips can also be provided through the Las Cruces Crime Stoppers app, “P3 TIPS.” The app is available through the App Store on most devices.
Information from Las Cruces Police.