Los Lunas man shot, killed; another arrested

LOS LUNAS — A Los Lunas man is in custody and charged with first-degree murder after an incident at a home late Monday night.

According to a press release issued by the Los Lunas Police Department on Tuesday, Sept. 16, Jessie Roark, 41, of Los Lunas, was arrested shortly after officers began investigating a death at a home in the 2000 block of Panda Drive SW. The home is south of Main Street and west of Camelot Boulevard.

LLPD Chief Frank Lucero said initial findings in the investigation point to a potential disturbance between Roark and his neighbor, the victim, Kelvin Garcia, 30, in regards to a noise complaint.

“That is our understanding so far, but this is an ongoing investigation,” Lucero said Tuesday afternoon. “We don’t know 100 percent what happened after that. Officers are still out there, scouring the area, looking for surveillance cameras, interviewing neighbors and putting the pieces together.”

Officers were dispatched to the home “during the late-night hours” of Monday, Sept. 15, for a call reporting shots fired.

When officers arrived, they found Garcia with life-threatening injuries.

“Despite officers’ efforts to render aid, the victim succumbed to his injuries on scene,” the press release reads.

Officers quickly detained Roark and he was booked into the Valencia County Detention Center. According to the press release, LLPD doesn’t believe there is any further danger to the community.

“We would like to thank our partners at the New Mexico State Police, the Valencia County Sheriff’s Department and the Valencia County Regional Communications Center for their assistance during this incident,” the release concludes. “We also extend our gratitude to the residents in the area for their patience and understanding while the scene was secured and processed.”