On July 25, 2019, 26-year-old Arnulfo Barrientos-Ibarra was found dead at his residence in the 1000 block of South Elm Street in Hobbs, New Mexico, due to a single gunshot wound to the head. The incident occurred early Thursday morning, with police responding to the scene at 3:48 a.m..
The primary suspect in the murder is Steven A. Salazar, a 30-year-old resident of Hobbs.
Salazar, also known as 'Smiley,' has a distinctive appearance marked by numerous facial tattoos, which contributed to the receipt of several tips regarding his whereabouts. According to investigators, Salazar and another man visited Ibarra's home earlier on the day of the murder. Ibarra had asked them to leave after Salazar reportedly fired a gun under the carport. When Ibarra and his male companion returned, Salazar allegedly shot Ibarra after being asked again to leave the residence. The companion of Salazar reported that Salazar was under the influence of drugs at the time and did not seem angry but still shot Ibarra with a brown-handled gun before fleeing the scene.
Salazar has a extensive and violent criminal history, including convictions for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon, and aggravated battery upon a peace officer. Prior to the murder of Ibarra, Salazar had been arrested in connection with another shooting that occurred on April 29, 2019, where a victim was shot four times but survived. Salazar's fingerprints were found on a car parked in the victim's driveway, and the victim identified Salazar as the shooter. Despite these serious charges, Salazar was released on a $3,000 unsecured bond by Hobbs Magistrate Judge Willie Henry. He was also arrested on a felony drug charge on July 10, 2019, after a traffic stop revealed he was in possession of 1.3 grams of heroin. Salazar admitted to being a drug addict during this arrest.
Following the murder of Ibarra, a warrant was issued for Salazar's arrest on charges of murder, a second-degree felony, and felon in possession of a firearm, a fourth-degree felony. The Hobbs Police Department issued a public appeal for information on Salazar's whereabouts, and several tips led them to an apartment complex in the 2000 block of East Clinton Street, southeast of Hobbs High School. On Friday night, police and a SWAT team responded to the apartment complex, where Salazar was hiding out at his cousin's apartment. After a standoff lasting about an hour and a half, Salazar surrendered and was arrested at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. His cousin, Scotty Casillas, was also arrested and charged with aiding and abetting a felon for refusing to cooperate with police and hiding Salazar.
During the standoff, officers established verbal negotiations with Salazar, and he occasionally opened the door to communicate with them. The SWAT team was activated, and eventually, Salazar came out of the apartment and was placed under arrest. Casillas, who was inside the apartment, was detained by SWAT officers and later transported to the Hobbs City Jail for his role in aiding Salazar.
The arrest of Salazar marked the end of a brief but intense manhunt, and it highlighted the ongoing issues with repeat offenders and the challenges faced by law enforcement in managing such cases. The judge had determined that there would be no bond for Salazar upon his arrest, reflecting the severity of the charges against him.
