Man receives 23-year prison sentence for shooting death of Las Cruces school bus driver

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) -- A 35-year-old man received a 23-year prison sentence for the shooting death of a Las Cruces Public Schools bus driver, the Third Judicial District Attorney said Monday.

A jury found Pancho Garcia guilty of second-degree murder in April. It happened on West Picacho Avenue.

Investigators learned Garcia stayed at a motel on Picacho Avenue June 10, 2025. He left his room, fired several shots into a vehicle stopped at a traffic light, and went back inside. The driver was on Picacho Avenue and 17th Street.

Garcia shot the driver, 29-year-old Juan Lujan, four times, the district attorney's office said.

Las Cruces Police officers attempted to save Lujan, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witness statements and 911 calls helped investigators identify Garcia in his motel room. Garcia barricaded himself inside the motel, prompting a SWAT call, the district attorney's office said.

Officers breached a window and took Garcia into custody after he left the room.

“This was a senseless act of violence that took the life of a husband, father and valued member of our community,” District Attorney Fernando Macias said. “This sentence ensures that justice was served and that Garcia is held accountable for his actions.”

Lujan worked for STS New Mexico, a school bus contracting service. Las Cruces Public Schools identified Lujan as the victim and said he drove for the district.