Deadly shooting witness knew both shooter and victim, court documents state

Court documents reveal a love triangle could be to blame for the killing of 21-year-old Benjamin Montoya at a Las Cruces motel.

Joel Arciniega-Saenz, 21, is charged with an open count of Murder. He’s accused of shooting and killing Montoya the morning of April 22, 2017.

Police said it happened on the 2200 block of West Picacho Avenue at the Town House Motel.

The documents obtained by ABC-7’s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom state Saenz and Montoya were arguing and Dakota Ocampo, the woman who witnessed the shooting, told investigators she had a close relationship with both men.

The documents state the two men argued and the fight turned physical. The argument and fight woke Ocampo up, documents state.

Saenz allegedly pushed Montoya onto a bed and shot him, the woman told investigators.

Saenz allegedly told her, “don’t worry. I got this.”

The woman told investigators she was friends with Saenz and he had a crush on her. She said she and Montoya had an “on-again-off-again” relationship. She also revealed to investigators Montoya had confronted her the previous night about being pregnant.

A witness said she saw Saenz and Ocampo standing over a body laying in the motel parking lot. Saenz, lived in room 105, had recently made comments about wanting to kill someone, according to a witness cited in the document.

Saenz told police a much different story, according to the documents. He claimed a woman he had never met shot Montoya inside the apartment before driving away. Police say that story did not match the evidence.

Saenz is being held at the Dona Ana county detention center with out bond.