On the night of August 14, 2022, in Clovis, New Mexico, the life of 16-year-old Hispanic male Jessie Villanes-Lerma was tragically cut short. Police responded to a call of a gunshot victim at an apartment complex located at 1100 Sycamore at 10:21 p.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered Villanes-Lerma inside an apartment, deceased from what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his neck.
According to the resident of the apartment, two armed men forced their way into his home, where his
11-month-old child was also present. A struggle ensued between the resident and the intruders. Hearing the commotion from another room, Villanes-Lerma came to the resident's aid. In a selfless act of courage, he confronted one of the gunmen and was fatally shot. The two assailants then fled the scene.
Investigators were able to recover security footage from inside the apartment which corroborated the resident's account of the events. Evidence found at the scene, along with statements from the resident, led authorities to believe the shooting was connected to the sale of drugs from the apartment. The Clovis Police Department and the Major Crimes Unit launched a thorough investigation into the homicide.
Through their investigation, authorities identified 42-year-old Jimmy Whitlock of Clovis as the individual who shot and killed Jessie Villanes-Lerma. A warrant was issued for Whitlock's arrest on multiple charges, including murder, aggravated burglary, felon in possession of a firearm, child abuse, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, and larceny of a firearm. The second armed man who entered the apartment was not publicly identified.
