Las Cruces Police arrested two people – an 18-year-old woman and 17-year-old boy – suspected of driving around town Sunday and firing a pellet gun toward at least two pedestrians.
Dana Armendariz, 18, at Danny Romero, 17, are both charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Both counts are fourth-degree felonies.
Investigators learned that at around 6 p.m. Sunday, June 4, Armendariz was driving a maroon Nissan Altima with Romero, armed with black pellet rifle, as a front seat passenger. As they drove around town, Romero is suspected of firing rounds at two pedestrians who were walking along the Triviz Walking Path. The pedestrians were not struck and no major injuries were reported.
It's believed that Romero, or someone else riding in the vehicle, may have fired or pointed the gun at others as they drove around town Sundayafternoon.
One of the victims took a picture of the Nissan Altima’s license plate and forwarded the information to police who went to the address of the vehicle’s owner. The owner indicated that her daughter, Armendariz, was driving the vehicle at the time. She called her daughter’s cell phone and Armendariz was taken into custody when she returned to her mother’s residence.
Romero was taken into custody shortly thereafter.
Armendariz was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where she is initially being held without bond. Romero is being held in the juvenile section of the detention center.
Information from Las Cruces Police