On October 4, 2019, Eric Noel Carrasco, a 26-year-old resident of Hobbs, New Mexico, lost his life to gun violence. The incident occurred early in the morning when Hobbs police officers were dispatched to the Motel 6 located at 200 N. Marland Blvd. in response to a shots-fired call and a report of a vehicle striking the building. Upon arrival, police found Carrasco sitting in the driver's seat of a sedan, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, including a large entry wound just under his left
arm. Despite lifesaving measures, Carrasco died at the scene.
The investigation into Carrasco's death led police to identify a suspect, Edward “Lucky” Soto, a 35-year-old man from Hobbs. The identification of Soto as the shooter was facilitated by a witness who reported seeing the perpetrator holding an AK47 pistol in his right hand as he approached the driver's side of Carrasco's car. The witness stated that the shooter said, “You think this is a game,” before starting to shoot into the vehicle. This witness was later shown a photographic array of Soto and five other men with similar characteristics, and they identified Soto as the shooter.
Further evidence was gathered from the crime scene and surrounding motel rooms. Police discovered that several people had been going in and out of three motel rooms near where Carrasco's car crashed, although the motel manager reported that no one had rented these rooms. An open bathroom window in one of the rooms allowed police to see a gun in plain view on one of the beds, leading to the securing of the rooms and the subsequent issuance of a search warrant. The search yielded a significant amount of evidence, including a sawed-off rifle, a gun case containing a sword and a shotgun, a bag with bullets and firearms, a gun bag with a broken handgun, a switchblade knife, boxes of live bullets, multiple gun magazines, firearm accessories, documents, and a wallet with a New Mexico ID belonging to Soto.
On October 29, 2019, Edward “Lucky” Soto was arrested after a tip from Crime Stoppers revealed his whereabouts. Police found Soto hiding in a storage building in the 2600 block of North Selman Street in Hobbs. He surrendered without incident and was transported to the Hobbs City Jail, where he was awaiting arraignment on an open count of murder in connection with Carrasco's death.
The vehicle driven by Carrasco also provided crucial evidence, with bullet holes found on the driver's side, back window, and rear portion of the vehicle. A firearm was discovered on Carrasco's lap, and a bullet shell was found along the path the car traveled before crashing into the motel. Additionally, a 31-year-old Hobbs woman, who was in the car with Carrasco at the time of the shooting, was interviewed by police and reported suffering a superficial wound to the center of her back.
In summary, Eric Carrasco's death was the result of a violent shooting incident at a motel in Hobbs, New Mexico, and the investigation led to the identification and arrest of Edward “Lucky” Soto as the primary suspect. The evidence gathered from the crime scene, witness statements, and the search of the motel rooms all contributed to Soto's arrest and charges related to Carrasco's murder.
