Jesus “Marvin” Alba De La Cruz, a Hispanic male, died on Oct. 13, 2025, after a confrontation outside a home on Palma Drive in Sunland Park, New Mexico. Police were called shortly before 5 p.m.; officers and firefighters attempted life-saving measures, but he died at the scene. Investigators wrote in court records that the dispute moved outside when a bystander told the men to “take it outside.” Perez allegedly went to a vehicle, retrieved a rifle, and shot Alba De La Cruz twice.
Surveillance video reviewed by detectives reportedly shows Perez with the rifle and leaving the scene, and investigators recovered two. 223-caliber shell casings. The address listed in the affidavit is 128 Palma Drive, near McNutt/Sunland Park Drive.
Witness statements gathered by police describe a simmering dispute involving a woman previously in relationships with both men, with one witness saying the argument stemmed from allegations about an ex-girlfriend. Another witness told investigators that Alba De La Cruz had been threatening Perez throughout the day; the same witness also said Perez claimed the victim hit him. Detectives, however, noted Perez did not appear injured when he returned home, according to the probable-cause statement. Spanish-language coverage characterized the case as arising from a “triángulo amoroso,” and summarized the sequence in which Perez retrieved the rifle and fired after the two men stepped outside.
Edgar Perez was arrested the same day and charged with first-degree murder. A Public Safety Assessment initially recommended the lowest level of pretrial monitoring, but prosecutors quickly filed an expedited motion to detain him without bond, arguing that no release conditions would reasonably protect the community. Court filings cited prior arrests and a dismissed 2023 felony drug case in Texas, and the Doña Ana County District Attorney's Office said it intends to seek a grand jury indictment. Separate local reports also note that multiple witnesses identified Perez as the shooter and that he left the area after the gunfire before being taken into custody. Perez remains jailed pending a pretrial detention hearing.
