State police: Lincoln County deputy shoots man accused of stealing truck

ROSWELL — The New Mexico State Police is investigating an officer-involved shooting involving a shoplifting suspect in Lincoln County.

State Police spokesman Wilson Silver said at 12:55 p.m. Saturday, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office got a call about a shoplifter at a Family Dollar in Capitan.

Victor Herrera, 22, was charged with unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer. Maggie Mondragon, 25, of Tularosa was charged with receiving or transferring stolen vehicles and resisting arrest.

Silver said Herrera and Mondragon were in a stolen pickup truck when they were accused of stealing miscellaneous items from the store.

LCSO deputies found the vehicle and tried to conduct a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled before being later pulled over on U.S. Highway 380.

State Police said Herrera and Mondragon exited the vehicle and tried to flee on foot. LCSO deputies arrested Mondragon while Herrera ran into the hills.

At about 4:30 p.m., Silver said, a BOLO (be on the lookout) was issued for Herrera. After fleeing on foot, he stole a white Ford truck and was located by Lincoln County deputies, who tried to conduct a traffic stop but he continued to flee in the truck onto Salazar Canyon Road, reports say.

A deputy set up spike strips on the road, but Herrera drove around them when the deputy “fired at least one round.”

State Police said after the shooting, they found the stolen Ford truck and conducted a Pursuit Intervention Technique Maneuver, bringing the vehicle to a stop.

Herrera was then arrested and taken to a local hospital to be treated for minor injuries. No officers were injured during this incident.

Attempts were made to reach the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, but no one responded as of Sunday evening.

Silver said the case is under investigation.

“The New Mexico State Police acts solely as a factfinder in officer involved shootings and does not determine whether an officer’s actions were justified,” he said. “That decision rests with the district attorney’s office. This incident remains under investigation by the New Mexico State Police.”