Anthony homicide suspect on the lam accused of killing ex's new boyfriend

Justin Garcia, Las Cruces Sun-News
·2 min read
29-year-old Alejandro Salas
29-year-old Alejandro Salas

LAS CRUCES - The Doña Ana County Sheriff's Department is searching for a suspect after a man was shot and killed in Anthony over the weekend.

Alejandro Salas, 29, is wanted after deputies found Jose Hernandez dead at the 300 block of Los Traques Street Saturday night, according to a news release. The release stated that deputies found Hernandez around 10:40 p.m. and the initial investigation pointed to Salas as the shooter.

"He is considered to be armed. Please contact Central Dispatch or DASO immediately if his whereabouts are known," the release stated.

Affidavit suggests killing motivated by jealousy

According to an affidavit written by DASO Det. Thomas Hill, deputies responded to the scene initially believing that someone had been shot.

When a deputy arrived, Hill said that Salas was found at the property. Hill said that the responding deputy then chased Salas but the suspect managed to get away.

Hill said that two other people were present , including Salas' ex-girlfriend. The ex-girlfriend said that she had dated Salas before he was recently sent to prison. The relationship ended after Salas physically abused her, Hill said. Over the last four months, the ex-girlfriend dated Hernandez.

She told deputies that she'd made reports about Salas in the past and feared for her safety. She also showed deputies text messages from Salas to her, including one that read, "my eyes is the last thing he is going to see, tell him to remember my name."

The ex-girlfriend said Salas and Hernandez were friends before the shooting.

Salas allegedly shoots at witness

Another person inside the house told deputies they witnessed the whole thing. He said he and Hernandez had gone into a carport to chop wood when Salas approached him. The witness said Salas walked up and fired five or six times at Hernandez, according to Hill's affidavit.

The witness told Hill that he fled to find a bat for protection and then returned to find Salas still in the carport. He said that Salas then fired a few times at him, but missed, before his gun ran out of ammunition. The witness said he then tossed the bat at Salas before the two men left the carport and confronted each other again.

The witness said that Salas stated, "I did what I had to do," and that Salas had threatened to kill others at the residence.

Justin Garcia is a public safety reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com.

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This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Anthony homicide suspect accused of killing ex's new boyfriend