The Las Cruces Police Department has announced an arrest in a fatal shooting in the 2100 block of Lester Avenue. According to the Las Cruces Police Department, 22-year-old Bernardo Hernandez Jr. has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
LCPD officers responded to a report of a shooting at the aforementioned location around 6 a.m. on April 3, 2024. At the scene, officers found 24-year-old Elijah Daniel Venegas suffering from at least one gunshot wound. The victim was transported to an area hospital where he passed away.
Police learned that the shooter fled west on Lester Avenue and north toward Lynn Middle School. The suspect was later located and taken into custody on the northeast side of the Lynn Middle School campus. Investigators suspect Venegas and his girlfriend were staying at a home on Lester Avenue when they got into an argument.
Early Wednesday morning, the girlfriend phoned Hernandez to ask for a ride. When Hernandez arrived, he got into an argument with Venegas that turned physical. At some point, Hernandez allegedly exited his vehicle, retrieved a gun, and fired multiple times at Venegas. Following the shooting, Hernandez ran and discarded evidence on the exterior grounds of Lynn Middle School.
Hernandez was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he is being held without bond.
Jay Skelton is an independent crime journalist with a passion for covering the uncovered and the under covered.