On the evening of March 3, 2023, a sense of normalcy was shattered on Interstate 25 near Las Cruces, New Mexico, when 17-year-old Benjamin Rios Archuleta was tragically killed. The young Hispanic/Latino male was driving south on the interstate when the fatal incident unfolded. Prior to the shooting, Archuleta and a passenger had made a brief stop at a gas station in Dona Ana.
Upon their departure, another vehicle, later identified as a Honda sedan, began to follow them onto the highway.
As they traveled down I-25, at least one person from the pursuing Honda fired a weapon at Archuleta's vehicle. Archuleta was struck by the gunfire. He was quickly transported to a local hospital for his injuries but was pronounced deceased. The Honda sedan fled the area immediately after the shooting. At the time of his death, Archuleta was a former student of Las Cruces High School.
The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau launched an immediate and thorough investigation into the homicide. Their efforts led them to identify the driver of the Honda as Daniel Ortiz and the passenger who allegedly fired the weapon as Drake Armendariz. In the days that followed, law enforcement made swift arrests. Daniel Ortiz, 16, was taken into custody on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, and Drake Armendariz, also 16, was arrested on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
Both teenagers are facing serious charges in connection with Benjamin Archuleta's death. The charges include first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, shooting at or from a motor vehicle resulting in great bodily injury, and assault with intent to commit a violent felony, along with conspiracy charges for the latter two offenses.
