EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — An 18-year-old is facing charges after shooting his 15-year-old friend in the back as they were planning on stealing firearms from a home this past Monday, Oct. 13, in Las Cruces, according to court documents.
Court documents state Evan Gabriel Martinez, 18, who is currently on probation, is facing attempted murder and tampering with evidence after shooting 15-year-old Elijah Donovan Herrera in the back and trying to conceal messages on social media regarding the incident.
At around 2:30 a.m. Monday, officers were dispatched to the area of Dos Vistas and Arena for an assault. Once officers arrived, they found Herrera with a gunshot wound.
At the hospital, Herrera told officers that he was walking with Martinez when he felt that he had been hit on his back and fell to the ground.
Initially, Herrera did not want to disclose to officers what they were doing in the area and Martinez’s last name, according to court documents.
Police were able to search Herrera’s cell phone and saw that Herrera and Martinez were planning to meet at an alleyway near the 1800 block of Parkhill Dr.
Herrera and Martinez conspired to burglarize a home on the 1800 block of Parkhill Dr. and take firearms from the home, according to court documents.
The messages showed that the home they were planning to burglarize was a friend’s home and that friend was going to leave the back door of the home open for them, according to court documents.
The messages also showed that Herrera and Martinez were planning on selling the firearms they were going to steal.
Herrera and Martinez met at an alleyway near the Dollar Store, and while Herrera was walking in front of Martinez, Herrera was shot in the back, according to court documents.
Herrera told police that it was intentional and that Martinez left him lying on the floor while he cried for help, according to court documents.
Herrera also told police that Martinez asked Herrera if he wanted to help him burglarize the friend’s home, according to court documents.
Officers then arrived at Martinez’s home and were able to recover the clothing Martinez was wearing during the incident and a 9 mm handgun that was hidden under a sofa cushion, according to court documents.
Martinez refused to speak with police, and he is currently being held without bond at the Dona Ana County Detention Center.
Herrera was transported to a hospital in El Paso with serious injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.
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