Roswell, NM Police Department Press release.
A Roswell teenager charged with murder in the shootings of two other teens at a park earlier this month was arrested in Ruidoso late Monday afternoon (April 25).
The locating and arrest of Jayvin Montoya, 15, involved the cooperative efforts of the Ruidoso Police Department, Ruidoso Downs Police Department, New Mexico State Police and Roswell Police Department. Montoya (photo in graphic on left) was found staying in a trailer at a site along U.S. 70 in Ruidoso. He was arrested without incident. Following his arrest, Montoya was brought to the Roswell Police Department before being transported to a juvenile detention facility in another county.
An arrest warrant for Montoya was issued April 21 charging him with two open counts of murder, as well as one count each of armed robbery, conspiracy (to commit armed robbery), and unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon.
Later Monday, around 10:30 p.m., a second suspect in the case, Carlos Gallegos, 14, voluntarily came to the Roswell Police Department. He was questioned as part of the ongoing investigation and then released as charges against him remain pending.
The Roswell Police Department also wants to question a person of interest relative to this case. RPD is looking for David Salas, 16 (photo on right). Anyone with information that could help locate Salas is asked to call RPD at (575) 624-6770.
The shootings occurred April 16 around 5 p.m. near the tennis courts on Riverside Drive at Cahoon Park. The investigation by the Roswell Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division determined Montoya and a second shooter, believed to be Gallegos, fired multiple gunshots into a parked vehicle occupied by Cameron Luna, 15, and Jorge Armendariz, 16. Both victims died at the scene. Montoya and Gallegos are also accused of robbing the victims. The two suspects, who fled in a vehicle after the shootings, do not meet the state-law age requirement (19) to be in possession of a gun.
Investigators believe Luna and Armendariz went to the park to buy a gun from another individual and had completed that transaction shortly before Montoya and Gallegos arrived in another vehicle. Investigators believe the seller of the gun had left before the arrival of Montoya and Gallegos.
Jayvin Montoya’s mother, Jessica Lee Montoya, 41, was arrested April 20 in connection with the case. She is charged with tampering with evidence, conspiracy (to tamper with evidence) and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Jessica Montoya’s vehicle was allegedly used by her son and Gallegos to get to and from the park where the shootings occurred, and Jessica Montoya is accused of initiating a sequence of actions that resulted in the vehicle being moved to different locations after the shooting incident.
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