In the late afternoon sun of Las Cruces, New Mexico, a long-simmering neighborhood feud erupted into deadly violence, claiming the life of 39-year-old Hispanic/Latino male Carlos Pichardo on July 9, 2022. The tragic events unfolded outside Pichardo's home on the 900 block of South San Pedro Street, where he resided with his wife, Fatima Ortiz. The couple had a history of contentious interactions with their 80-year-old neighbor, James Theriault.
On that fateful day, as Pichardo and Ortiz
returned home, they once again encountered Theriault on his back porch. Aware of the ongoing animosity, Ortiz began to record the interaction with her phone. In response, Theriault reportedly uttered "record me baby" before producing a 9mm handgun and opening fire on the couple. Ortiz was struck six times, and as Pichardo moved to intervene, he was fatally shot in the abdomen. Despite her own grievous injuries, Ortiz was able to provide a detailed account of the attack to law enforcement.
Theriault later told investigators that he had been on his porch drinking beer with his handgun for protection. He claimed that Pichardo and Ortiz had been yelling at him as they passed by, and he had told them to go home. According to Theriault, he fired his weapon when he believed Pichardo was approaching him in a threatening manner. He admitted to shooting at Pichardo twice and acknowledged that he might have also shot Ortiz.
Following the shooting, which was reported around 4:20 p.m., Las Cruces police officers arrived at the scene. Both Carlos Pichardo and Fatima Ortiz were transported to a local hospital for treatment. Tragically, Pichardo succumbed to his injuries. James Theriault was arrested in connection with the shooting. His son, 35-year-old Cody Theriault, was also taken into custody and charged with assisting his father in disposing of the firearm used in the incident. Both men were booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center.
