In the quiet city of Las Cruces, New Mexico, a horrific and senseless act of violence claimed the life of 2-year-old Valerie Rose M. Teran on the morning of February 10, 1990. The young Hispanic female was with her father, 26-year-old Steven Teran, and her 6-year-old sister, Paula Holguin, at the Las Cruces Bowl where her father worked as a mechanic.
Having been unable to find a babysitter, he had brought his two young daughters with him to the bowling alley, intending to place them in the on-site daycare.
Tragically, they walked into a robbery in progress. Two unidentified men had entered the bowling alley before it opened and were holding the manager, her daughter, her daughter's friend, and a cook at gunpoint in the office. Upon discovering the robbery, Steven, Paula, and Valerie were also forced into the office with the other victims. The assailants then shot all seven people multiple times before setting fire to the office and fleeing the scene. The motive appeared to be robbery, though the amount stolen was estimated to be less than $5,000.
While several people tragically lost their lives at the scene, Valerie was still alive when emergency services arrived. She was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival. Her father Steven and sister Paula were among those who died at the bowling alley. Despite the brutality of the crime and the number of victims and witnesses, the case has remained unsolved for decades.
In the immediate aftermath of the massacre, law enforcement launched an intensive investigation. Roadblocks were set up around Las Cruces, and a thorough search of the area was conducted with the assistance of various agencies, but the two suspects were never apprehended. Descriptions of the two men, believed to be Hispanic, were released, but these leads never resulted in any arrests. Over the years, the case has been featured on national television shows in an effort to generate new leads, and a significant reward for information has been offered. However, the identities of the two men responsible for the deaths of Valerie Rose M. Teran and the other victims of the Las Cruces Bowling Alley Massacre remain a mystery, and no one has ever been charged in connection with the crime.
