Man arrested on suspicion of girlfriend’s murder

Doa Ana County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 23-year-old Las Cruces man after the deputies discovered his girlfriend’s lifeless body Wednesday night inside the couple’s Doa Ana home.

Just before 7 p.m. Wednesday, Corey Franklin reportedly went to the Las Cruces Police Department to report a burglary at his house in the 1400 block of Eclipse.

Deputies say that Franklin changed his story during questioning. Franklin told officers the incident was actually a domestic dispute between him and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Graciela Hernandez.

Franklin said he and Hernandez had gone to her mother’s house on Tuesday after Hernandez got off work. The visit was reportedly to borrow money, which Franklin used to buy alcohol.

When the couple got back home, Franklin said there was a pot of boiling water on the stove, which he allegedly grabbed and tried to hit Hernandez with. According to Franklin, the woman then grabbed a knife and started coming towards him. Franklin also reportedly armed himself with a knife and told investigators the fight continued outside the house and that he hit Hernandez, but couldn’t remember how many times because he was intoxicated.

Franklin reportedly got up Wednesday and left to buy more alcohol. When he returned home that evening, he allegedly discovered that Hernandez was unresponsive and drove himself to the Las Cruces Police Department on Picacho Avenue to file a report.

Based on the information Franklin gave to the LCPD officer, deputies were sent to his home on Eclipse where Hernandez‘s body was found in a bedroom. She reportedly had suffered several stab wounds and lacerations to her head.

Franklin was taken into custody early Thursday morning and charged with an open count of murder, tampering with evidence and kidnapping. He is being held without bond at the Doa Ana County Detention Center.