On June 4, 2019, 21-year-old Jose Adolfo De La Cruz was fatally shot in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The incident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. on the 400 block of East University Avenue. Upon arrival, Las Cruces police officers found De La Cruz suffering from a gunshot wound; he was transported to Mountainview Regional Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Investigations revealed that De La Cruz had arranged to meet Juan Galindo, 21, and Matthew Sierra, 19, for a drug transaction involving LSD, facilitated by a mutual acquaintance. The initial meeting took place in the parking lot of an IHOP restaurant but did not proceed as planned, leading De La Cruz to leave the location. Galindo and Sierra pursued him to the mutual friend's residence on University Avenue. There, Galindo allegedly exited the vehicle armed with a handgun and fired multiple rounds into De La Cruz's car, striking him while he was seated in the driver's seat. The suspects then fled the scene.
Both Galindo and Sierra were apprehended at their respective homes later that evening. Each was charged with one first-degree felony count of murder and a third-degree felony count of tampering with evidence. Sierra faced additional charges, including shooting into a vehicle and narcotics and firearm offenses. They were booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center, with Sierra held on a $150,000 bond and Galindo awaiting a bond hearing scheduled for June 20, 2019.
