In the quiet hours of a December night in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the life of Ronnie Tomás Benavidez, a 33-year-old Hispanic male, was brought to an abrupt and violent end. On December 8, 2020, police were called to a home on the 2300 block of Rosedale Drive shortly after midnight, where they discovered Benavidez had been fatally shot. Investigators began the arduous process of piecing together the events of that night, interviewing two men and a woman who were also present at the residence
when authorities arrived. In the immediate aftermath, no arrests were made, and a plea was made to the public for any information that might shed light on the killing of the man described by his family as hardworking with a heart of gold.
For a year, the investigation into Benavidez's death continued, leaving his family and community awaiting answers. The silence was broken in December 2021, when Las Cruces police announced the arrest of Jacob Pena in connection with the murder. According to court documents, the events leading to the fatal shooting began with Benavidez and Pena hanging out at the Rosedale Drive home. A witness reported that Benavidez became upset, leading to a physical altercation between him and Pena. It was during this confrontation that shots were fired.
The breakthrough in the case came from forensic evidence that linked Pena directly to the weapon used in the crime. Investigators found Pena's DNA on the gun, providing a crucial piece of evidence in the year-long investigation. Following his arrest, Jacob Pena was charged with one count of second-degree murder, formally accusing him of ending the life of Ronnie Benavidez.
