On the afternoon of May 11, 2022, in the 900 block of Edwards Street in Clovis, New Mexico, 43-year-old Manuel "Smiley" Rodriguez, a Hispanic male, was discovered lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. First responders arrived at approximately 4:36 p.m. to find him critically injured. Before being rushed to Plains Regional Medical Center, Rodriguez was able to identify the man who shot him as Ray Gomez.
Despite the immediate medical attention and his subsequent
transfer to University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, due to the severity of his injuries, Manuel Rodriguez succumbed to his wounds on the evening of May 12, 2022. His final words to the first responders proved crucial in the investigation that followed. Known affectionately as "Smiley," Rodriguez was a well-known tattoo artist in the Clovis community.
Following Rodriguez's identification of his assailant, detectives with the Clovis Police Department swiftly focused their investigation on 49-year-old Ray Gomez. It was determined that the shooting stemmed from a personal dispute between Gomez and Rodriguez. An arrest warrant was issued, charging Gomez with first-degree murder. With assistance from Rodriguez's family, who provided key information to law enforcement, Ray Gomez was located, arrested, and booked into the Curry County Adult Detention Center. Authorities also sought to locate Gomez's girlfriend for questioning as she was believed to have pertinent information regarding the incident.
