Arrest made in murder case of man shot dead at Las Cruces apartments

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- A man has been arrested for murder in the shooting death of another man earlier this week at a Las Cruces apartment complex, police said Wednesday.

Isaac Joe Vargas, 42, of Dona Ana, was booked Tuesday night into the Dona Ana County Detention Center on a charge of first-degree felony murder. He was being held without bond on Wednesday.

The deadly shooting took place about 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Telshor Manor Apartments in the 1400 block of south Telshor Boulevard. The victim, identified as 33-year-old Isaiah Lara, was shot in the torso and later died at MountainView Regional Medical Center.

Investigators did not provide a motive for the killing or indicate what led up to the shooting.

There have been multiple killings in the past two weeks as Las Cruces police deal with a recent surge in violence. The nine confirmed homicides in Las Cruces so far this year is above the six that the city has averaged over the past 5 years.