Grand Jury has indicted a Las Cruces teen, on one count of second-degree murder

Update: District Attorney Mark D’Antonio announced that a grand jury has indicted a Las Cruces teen charged in the stabbing death of 17-year-old David Escamilla.

Lawrence Lucero, 19, was indicted on one count of second-degree murder. He was also indicted on aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a third-degree felony.

According to detectives with the Doa Ana County Sheriff’s Department, the defendant stabbed two victims after they got into an argument outside a house party in the 5600 block of Bravo Road in Las Cruces.

Escamilla died while being transported to a hospital in El Paso. The other victim was treated and released.

If convicted as charged, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 18 years behind bars.

NEW INFORMATION: A suspect wanted by Doa Ana County Sheriff’s detectives in the fatal stabbing of David Escamilla, 17, surrendered to law enforcement late Thursday afternoon.

Lawrence J. Lucero, 19, turned himself in just after 5 p.m. at the sheriff’s main headquarters in Las Cruces. He was accompanied by his attorney and a few family members. Detectives had obtained a warrant for Lucero’s arrest on Thursday morning, identifying him as a suspect in the fatal stabbing investigation that began on Oct. 19, 2014.

Escamilla died while being transported to an El Paso-area hospital. According to witnesses, Escamilla had been in a fight earlier that night at a house party in the 5600 block of Bravo Road. Detectives assigned to the case have interviewed several witnesses and say they have enough evidence to charge Lucero. He is the second suspect facing charges in the case.

A criminal complaint in the case was filed Thursday in Magistrate Court. According to the complaint, Lucero was with two females and 20-year-old Ismael Montoya when the four allegedly went to the party on Bravo Road, where they were confronted by 19-year-old Christopher Calzada.

A fight ensued between Calzada and Lucero. According to both men and witnesses, Escamilla and Montoya joined in.

During interviews with detectives, all parties agreed there was a knife produced during the fight, although initially no one took ownership of the weapon. When the fight dispersed, friends took Escamilla and Calzada to Mountain View Medical Center. Both were said to have suffered stab wounds.

Escamilla later died during transport to University Medical Center in El Paso. An autopsy showed he suffered stab wounds to each lung.

Calzada was treated and released.

Sheriff’s deputies who interviewed several people at the party later located Montoya and Lucero at a home in the 1700 block of Hadley. The home is allegedly where the two females lived. According to court documents, it was at that house where Montoya and Lucero changed clothes and allegedly hid a knife that detectives believe was used in the fight.

During the investigation, detectives were given information which implicated a relative who may have allegedly disposed of the knife.

Less than a week after the stabbing, Montoya surrendered to sheriff’s detectives. He was initially charged with second-degree murder and aggravated battery.

Several months into the investigation, information was given to detectives about a text message that was sent to Lucero’s girlfriend’s sister. The text message allegedly contained information that Montoya might not have been the one to deliver the fatal stab, and that Lucero was also keeping information from law enforcement.

Lucero is charged with second-degree murder and aggravated battery. He was booked at the Doa Ana County Detention Center Thursday night, where he is being held on a $500,000 cash bond.

ORIGINAL:

Doa Ana County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a fight between several people at a house party north of Las Cruces that ended in the stabbing death of a 17-year-old boy.

According to statements given to sheriff’s deputies, an 18-year-old man posted a message on Facebook last week that he was hosting a party at his house in the 5200 block of Bravo Road on Saturday while his mother was out of town.

About 100 people showed up to the party when four other people arrived just after midnight. A confrontation ensued between 17-year-old David Escamilla and a friend of his with two of the people who had just arrived.

The details of the argument are under investigation by Doa Ana County Sheriff’s deputies.

The situation turned physical, and resulted in three of the four receiving numerous stab wounds.

Escamilla was taken to a Las Cruces-area hospital by friends who were at the party, but was later airlifted to University Medical Center (UMC) in El Paso where he was later pronounced dead.

Another 19-year-old man was transported to UMC for stab wounds to his face and right arm. A third man, 20, suffered a single stab wound to the torso. He was treated and released.

The incident remains under investigation. No criminal charges have been filed at this time