On March 15, 2021, Guillermo Aguilar, a 30-year-old resident of Roswell, New Mexico, was fatally shot during an altercation on the 1500 block of West Walnut Street. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. when Aguilar, a passenger in a vehicle driven by his girlfriend, was followed by another vehicle operated by 21-year-old Angel Raymundo Fresquez. Fresquez had reportedly taken a friend's vehicle without permission and was driving erratically, which led to a confrontation between the two
parties.
Upon stopping, Aguilar approached Fresquez's vehicle and engaged in a verbal exchange. During this interaction, Fresquez fired a single shot from the driver's side window, striking Aguilar in the stomach. Fresquez then fled the scene, leaving Aguilar critically injured. Emergency responders transported Aguilar to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.
The Roswell Police Department swiftly initiated an investigation, identifying Fresquez as the primary suspect. An arrest warrant was issued, and on April 26, 2021, Fresquez was apprehended without incident at a residence in the 500 block of Hickory Drive in south Roswell. He was charged with second-degree murder and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. Authorities also sought to locate 24-year-old Christopher Garcia-Perez, believed to have been a passenger in Fresquez's vehicle during the shooting, labeling him as a person of interest in the ongoing investigation.
This tragic event underscores the prevalence of gun violence in Roswell and the surrounding Chaves County area. In the months following Aguilar's death, the community witnessed several other violent incidents, including the fatal shooting of 23-year-old JoNicholas Alfredo Aguilar on April 25, 2021, and the death of 22-year-old Victor Barron during a police pursuit on April 17, 2021. These occurrences have prompted local authorities and organizations to intensify efforts aimed at curbing gun-related violence and enhancing public safety measures within the community.
