Isaac Granado was a 32-year-old Hispanic man from Artesia, New Mexico. Born in nearby Carlsbad on March 15, 1992, he was the son of Genevieve Granado and Edward Grado. His family remembered him as someone who loved spending time with them and his friends and was always willing to help. He was a father to a son, Aiden.
On May 1, 2024, Eddy County Sheriff’s deputies heard gunshots in Artesia and responded to a residence in the 700 block of West Champ Clarke Avenue.
There, they found Isaac Granado suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He had reportedly been shot during an altercation. Paramedics rushed him to Artesia General Hospital, but he succumbed to his injury.
Immediately after the shooting, deputies pursued a vehicle seen fleeing the area. Artesia police assisted in a "high risk" stop of the vehicle, and its three occupants were detained. One of them, a 14-year-old boy whose name was not released, was arrested and subsequently charged with second-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and unlawful possession of a handgun by a minor.
The case shifted dramatically three weeks later. On May 22, 2024, the Artesia Police Department and the Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced that the charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence against the teenager were dismissed. After reviewing the evidence, investigators concluded that the boy had acted in self-defense.
A funeral service for Isaac Granado was held on May 9, 2024, at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Artesia, followed by a burial at Woodbine Cemetery. As of June 2024, the investigation into his death remained ongoing, with authorities indicating they were looking to see if charges were warranted against other individuals involved in the incident. The case remains unsolved.
