On November 2, 2014, a tragic incident occurred in Alamogordo, New Mexico, resulting in the deaths of two young men, Jonathan Garnand and Devone Blake, both 19 years old. The events unfolded when Alamogordo Police Department officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of Hendrix Avenue in response to a report of a suspicious vehicle. Upon arrival, officers found Garnand and Blake sitting in the front seats of a 2003 maroon Chevy Impala, both suffering from gunshot wounds.
Despite their critical condition, both victims were alive and pleading for help. They were immediately transported to Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center and later airlifted to the University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, for further treatment. However, their injuries were too severe, and Jonathan Garnand was pronounced deceased on November 4, 2014, while Devone Blake succumbed to his injuries six days later on November 10, 2014.
The investigation into the double murder was extensive but initially yielded little progress. The case quickly went cold, despite periodic reviews by detectives. The lack of progress was puzzling given the availability of various pieces of evidence, including cell phone GPS data, surveillance video, and eyewitness accounts from the vicinity of 10th Street. Additionally, Garnand's mother, Anna Alcala, was tormented by the killers for over a year following the murders. She received monthly packages containing items belonging to her son, such as a red bandana scented with his cologne, and later black envelopes with white powder. These packages were traced to a post office in Mesilla, New Mexico, but the evidence was not effectively shared between law enforcement agencies, hindering the investigation.
The case saw a significant breakthrough in 2020 when the Twelfth Judicial District Attorney's Office and the Alamogordo Police Department revisited the case. Special focus was placed on two individuals who had been in contact with Garnand and Blake prior to their deaths regarding a drug deal. Cellular phone and GPS data were finally obtained, which placed these individuals at the scene of the crime. This evidence led to the identification of Johnathan Stewart and Angel Armendariz as the primary suspects.
Johnathan Stewart, 28, was arrested on January 5, 2022, in McKinney, Texas, and booked into the McKinney County Detention Center. Angel Armendariz, 26, was apprehended through a joint effort by the Texas Rangers and the Milam County Sheriff's Office and was booked into the Milam County Detention Center. Both Stewart and Armendariz had been involved in buying drugs from Blake and Garnand in 2014, and it was determined that a botched drug deal led to the fatal shootings.
The trial of Angel Armendariz took place in 2023, resulting in a guilty verdict on two counts of first-degree murder. The jury deliberated for approximately six hours before delivering their verdict. The prosecution was led by Twelfth Judicial District Attorney Scot D. Key and Chief Deputy District Attorney Roxeanne Esquibel. The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Alamogordo Police Department, New Mexico State Police, Texas Rangers, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, among others. The successful prosecution was attributed to the diligent work of Special Agent Kyle Graham and APD Detective William Lewandowski, as well as the commitment of resources by APD Chief Richard Denton.
The sentencing for Angel Armendariz is pending, and the case marks a closure for the families of the victims, although it came too late for Garnand's mother, Anna Alcala, who passed away in 2020 without seeing justice served for her son's murder.
