On a Tuesday evening in the small community of Villanueva, New Mexico, the life of 39-year-old Hispanic/Latino male Alejandro Rodriguez was cut short by a fatal gunshot. The events of December 12, 2023, unfolded when a 43-year-old man and his companion, 59-year-old Gary Hicks of Ribera, were returning from cutting wood. The man noticed Rodriguez's vehicle parked outside his cousin's residence and was aware of an active restraining order that prohibited Rodriguez from having contact with the
female homeowner.
An argument broke out when the 43-year-old man confronted Rodriguez outside the home. Shortly after the verbal altercation began, a single gunshot was heard, and Rodriguez fell to the ground. When New Mexico State Police officers arrived at the scene at approximately 7:15 p.m., they found Rodriguez lying face down with a wound consistent with a gunshot. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator.
The subsequent investigation by the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau identified Gary Hicks as the shooter. Hicks was arrested and charged with an open count of murder in connection with the death of Alejandro Rodriguez. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
