A man and a woman were killed in Hobbs on Friday night after being struck by a vehicle while walking their dog, according to the Hobbs Police Department.
The law enforcement agency said in a press release Sunday that Anthony Baca, a 26-year-old Hobbs man, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, tampering with evidence, cruelty to animals and other charges in connection to the wreck.
At around 6 p.m. Friday, police were called to the 600 block of Apache after a vehicle struck two people.
Joshua Jackson, a 33-year-old Hobbs man, and Octavia Throssel, 27, of California, had been struck and died at the scene, according to the news release. The dog also was killed, said officer Reanna Alarcon, a spokeswoman for the department.
The driver left the scene after the crash.
“Our officers and detectives worked diligently through the night in an attempt to find the suspected driver,” police said in a news release.
Police relied on witnesses, businesses surveillance footage and social media posts to track down the suspected vehicle, which belonged to a company.
The company reported that Baca was using the vehicle and reported being in an crash.
Hobbs police interviewed Baca and he allegedly admitted to being in a wreck, but he said he originally thought he hit a dog or a deer, according to the release.
Baca is being held at the Hobbs City Jail, according to police.
Police requested that anyone with information about the case call (575) 397-9265, or contact Lea County Crime Stoppers at (575) 393-8005.
