In the early morning hours of June 1, 2019, the body of 28-year-old Hispanic male, Robert Pena, was discovered on the side of Esperanza Street in Las Cruces, New Mexico. A passerby made the grim discovery shortly after 1 a.m. and alerted Las Cruces police. Upon arrival, officers found Pena lifeless, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound to his head.
Investigators quickly determined that Pena's body had likely been dumped there after he was killed elsewhere.
The investigation into Pena's death unraveled a story of a drug-related dispute that turned deadly. Investigators learned that on the evening of May 31, Pena and his girlfriend, both from Silver City, had traveled to Las Cruces with Patrick D. Salaiz, 43, and his son, Gabriel Ray Salaiz, 21. Once in Las Cruces, they met with 25-year-old Sonny Sierra to settle a disagreement concerning illegal drugs. The group convened in a white four-door car driven by Patrick Salaiz in the parking lot of a Walmart on South Valley Drive.
An argument over a drug debt escalated inside the vehicle as they drove around. Upon returning to the Walmart parking lot, the confrontation turned violent. Pena allegedly struck Sierra with a handgun, leading to a struggle for the weapon. Sierra gained control of the firearm and fired a single shot, striking Pena. After the shooting, Sierra fled the scene.
Instead of seeking medical help for the wounded Pena, the Salaizes and Pena's girlfriend remained in the car. His girlfriend later told police she pleaded with the men to take him to a hospital, but they refused and forced her to remain in the vehicle. They then drove to Esperanza Street, where they abandoned Pena's body before driving back to Silver City. Based on information provided by Pena's girlfriend and evidence from Walmart's video surveillance, investigators were able to identify and locate the suspects.
Sonny Sierra was arrested and charged with first-degree felony murder and a second-degree felony count of shooting at or from a motor vehicle. Patrick and Gabriel Salaiz were also taken into custody and faced a slew of charges, including first-degree felony murder, second-degree felony counts of kidnapping, attempted robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and tampering with evidence, as well as a misdemeanor count of assault. The arrests brought a swift, though tragic, resolution to the violent death of Robert Pena.
