Chaparral Man Killed After Air Compressor Explodes

CHAPARRAL, N.M. — Investigators with the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s office said they suspect a Chaparral man was ‘killed instantly’after an air compressor he was working on exploded.

On Saturday, deputies were dispatched to a home on Mesilla View in Chaparral after 52-year-old Charles Bailey was found dead in his front yard by a friend.

Officials said that Bailey, who lived alone,suffered ‘massive injuries’ to his face. They suspect the incident happened on Thursday or Friday, but was not discovered until February 16. Parts of the compressor were found scattered 170 feet away.