Court documents show conflicting accounts in deadly Doa Ana County shooting

The suspect accused of shooting and killing a man outside Las Cruces said he was attacked before he grabbed a gun and opened fire. Doña Ana County Sheriff’s deputies said Rocky Bustamante Armendariz, 34, shot and killed 35-year-old Christopher Lauster, early Tuesday morning in the 5900 block of Derby Avenue. According to court documents obtained ABC-7 New Mexico Mobile Newsroom, Armendariz went to a home where he told investigators he had previously bought drugs. When sheriff’s investigators questioned Armendariz about the shooting, he said he had made his way into home’s garage before a man hit him in the head knocking him down, the documents state.

Armendariz said he eventually was able to start fighting back. Armendariz said the man dropped a handgun, which Armendariz picked up and allegedly fired. Lauster’s girlfriend, Lorenza Agnetti, gave investigators a different account, according to the criminal complaint. Agnetti said she was at the home with Lauster listening to music when a tall man with a clean haircut entered the room. She said Lauster welcomed him by saying, “What up, Rock?” Agnetti said the man pulled out a gun and pulled the trigger, but there was no gunshot and the gun just “clicked,” She said Lauster chased “Rock” out of the room before she heard a bang and found Lauster lying on the ground. Lauster was taken to a Las Cruces-area hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest. He died from his injuries shortly thereafter. Armedariz said he left the home in a blue pickup, which investigators determined belonged to his girlfriend, Melissa Sandoval. Sandoval told investigators that she was awoken about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday and found Armendariz covered in blood and bleeding from his head. According to the court documents, Armendariz told Sandoval that he had just left work when he was hit and knocked out and woke up inside a garage in the Picacho Hills area. He said he was held at gunpoint but was able to escape and drive home. Investigators questioned Amendariz, who had an outstanding warrant for a probation violation for which he was initially booked. On Wednesday, Armendariz was rebooked on suspicion of murder.