Affidavit: Ruidoso couple robbed, assaulted and kidnapped man at gunpoint outside casino

A man and a woman from Ruidoso Downs allegedly conspired to kidnap and rob a man at gunpoint at the Casino Apache Travel Center near Mescalero, New Mexico, according to criminal complaint documents obtained by ABC-7.

Investigators charged Brittney Priddy and Joshua Bowen, both of the 200 block of Harris Lane in Ruidoso Downs, with a slew of charges, including Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, Robbery, Kidnapping, Unlawful Taking of a Motor Vehicle, Theft of Credit Card, Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card and Interference with Communication. Priddy and Bowen are also facing conspiracy charges.

Priddy and Bowen both appeared before a district judge in Las Cruces on Friday. The judge set bond at $50,000. Several other suspects mentioned in the criminal complaints have not yet been charged by investigators.

On Sunday, April 7, 2019, investigators with New Mexico State Police and the Ruidoso Downs Police Department began looking into the disappearance of Hector Gomez, a resident of Ruidoso Downs. Gomez was last seen leaving the casino in Mescalero with two women in his red Dodge pickup on Thursday, April 4, 2019.

Police learned Gomez’s credit card was used three times on April 5, 2019 at the Onda Mart in Chaparral, New Mexico. Each of the three transactions were for $100. On April 7, 2019, Gomez’s Dodge pickup was located on Amador Avenue in Las Cruces. On April 8, 2019, police located an injured Gomez at a residence on the 1700 block of Royal Drive in Las Cruces.

When investigators interviewed Gomez, he told them he won $500 gambling at the Casino Apache Travel Center. Shortly thereafter, Gomez met two women and gave them a ride in his truck to the rodeo arena, the court documents state.

Gomez told police one of the women, named Brandy, had a boyfriend named Josh. Investigators would later identify Brandy as Brittney Priddy and her boyfriend as Josh Bowen.

Gomez said that while at the rodeo arena, he was punched in the eye and knocked unconscious by a man named Robert. When he came to, Gomez said he had been bound, blindfolded and placed in the back of his pickup.

Gomez told police Robert took away his Compass Bank debit card, cell phone and $500 from his pocket. Robert allegedly demanded the debit card’s PIN number, Gomez claimed. Robert, allegedly armed with a revolver, drove Gomez’s pickup to Chaparral, New Mexico, the criminal complaint states.

Once in Chaparral, another individual, identified by Gomez as Steve, allegedly punched Gomez in the face repeatedly. Gomez told police his kidnappers then drove to a gasoline station in Chaparral to buy food and refuel the pickup.

Priddy, Bowen and Steve then allegedly drove Gomez to a hotel in Las Cruces. While at the hotel, Priddy, Bowen and Steve would leave and return to the hotel room on multiple occassions. Gomez said all three suspects would take turns watching over him. Bowen was allegedly armed with a revolver while looking over Gomez inside the hotel room.

On April 7, 2019, Priddy and Bowen drove Gomez to the home of Priddy’s grandfather. While there, Gomez asked the grandfather for persmission to use the phone. Gomez also asked the man to confirm the exact address of the home. When Gomez learned where he was being held, he called his son and told him to call police to let them know the location of the home. When police arrived at the scene, they took Priddy and Bowen into custody.

The court document does not detail how Gomez was able to convince the grandfather to let him use the phone without Priddy and Bowen finding out.

Under interrogation, Bowen told police he was at the Casino Apache Travel Center Casino with Priddy and several other people. Although those people are identified in the criminal complaint, ABC-7 will not identify them because they have not yet been charged.

Bowen said Gomez allegedly grabbed the buttocks of Robert’s girlfriend. Robert, angered by the alleged sexual assault, came up with a plan to have Priddy and the alleged victim of the sexual assault lure Gomez to the travel center’s showers, where the group would then “beat him up.”

Bowen said Robert, armed with a revolver, punched Gomez and hit him on the head with the gun. The woman Gomez allegedly sexually assaulted also struck Gomez several times, Bowen allegedly told police.

The suspect’s version differs from Gomez, who told police he was kidnapped at the rodeo arena, not the travel center showers.

Bowen said the group then traveled to Chaparral, New Mexico, where Priddy used Gomez’s bank card several times at the ATM. Bowen allegedly told police the group then traveled to the Western Inn Motel in Las Cruces. While in Las Cruces, Priddy allegedly continued to use Gomez’s bank card.

Gomez’s truck would eventually break down and the alleged kidnappers dispersed, the criminal complaint states. Bowen and Priddy decided to take Gomez to the home belonging to Priddy’s grandfather, the criminal complaint states.

Under interrogation, Priddy told police Gomez approached her and a friend and “propositioned sexual favors for money.” Priddy said she and her friend entered Gomez’s pickup and asked him to drive her to the shower area to pick up some belongings. Once in the shower area, Priddy allegedly told police, Robert and her friend assaulted and kidnapped Gomez.

During Friday’s detention hearing, state prosecutor Jeanne Quintero argued the suspects should be held without bond, as the victim “endured a four day reign of terror.” Quintero told the judge the kidnapping was a “random act.” Quintero further told the judge, “the fact that they didn’t know him and they did that to him shows the level of dangerousness and a way of their thinking … this is a kidnapping a situation.”

Bowen’s defense attorney, Todd Holmes, argued there are no violent offenses in Bowen’s past.

The judge decided to grant a secured bond for the suspects, set at $50,000 each.