Las Cruces police have arrested the man suspected in Saturday’s fatal shooting of 28-year-old Nathan Froseth.
Corban Serna, 41, of the 500 block of south San Pedro Street, is charged with one count of voluntary manslaughter. The charge is a third-degree felony.
Shortly after 5 a.m. on Saturday, June 15, Las Cruces police were dispatched to the report of shots fired and a victim on the roadway near the corner of Lohman Avenue and south San Pedro Street. Officers arrived to find Froseth suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. Froseth was transported to Mountainview Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Investigators learned that Froseth and his wife reside near the area and spent part of Friday evening, into Saturday morning, consuming alcoholic beverages. Sometime Saturday morning, Froseth and his wife took their dog for a walk. During the walk, the two began arguing with each other and Froseth’s wife admitted to raising her voice during the argument.
Froseth’s wife indicated to investigators that her husband walked away with their dog and she decided to lie down on the sidewalk near a home on San Pedro Street. A short while later Froseth returned to where his wife was lying down. Investigators learned that, shortly thereafter, an unknown man with a flashlight, later identified as Serna, approached the couple. Investigators believe Serna and Froseth exchanged words before Froseth approached Serna.
Serna is then suspected of producing a handgun and firing multiple rounds at Froseth who fell to the ground. Serna fled the area before police arrived. During Saturday’s investigation, an LCPD detective canvassing the neighborhood conducted an interview with Serna at his residence. During the interview, Serna stated that he had no knowledge or involvement in the shooting. Two days later, on Monday, June 17, an attorney contacted police and indicated that his client, Serna, was involved in the shooting.
Police obtained from Serna’s attorney a semiautomatic handgun and other property allegedly used the morning of the shooting. Serna was arrested Wednesday evening and booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he’s initially being held without bond.
Information from Las Cruces Police