Two suspects identified in burglary

CLOVIS -Police have identified two suspects in the alleged burglary Wednesday night that left one in the hospital with a gunshot wound and another one on the run.

Roderick Cordova, 24, was shot once in his lower left back after homeowner Frederick Tenorio found him inside his home around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to police reports.

Cordova was transported to University Medical Center in Lubbock where he is listed in critical condition. A second burglary suspect, 21-year old Skyler Romero, is still at large.

Cordova and Romero each face felony charges of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence and larceny of a firearm. Cordova also faces a felony charge of aggravated assault.

Tenorio and his family were not injured.

Rachel Tenorio told The News on Friday that she and her husband wanted to speak more to the police before making any public statement.

Police did not indicate if Tenorio would face charges.

According to court documents:

• Shortly after receiving the initial call, a Clovis Police Department officer came to a residence on the 2500 block of Ross Street and found Cordova on the ground, bleeding, with Tenorio holding him at gunpoint.

• Minutes earlier, Tenorio had arrived home with his wife and three children. He noticed two unfamiliar bicycles leaning against their wall, and approached the house while his family waited in the car.

• Police reports indicate Tenorio found his back door ajar and entered the house, which was dark "except for the light mounted to his personal weapon."

• Tenorio told police he then saw Cordova "attempting to get out through the front door, but ... having trouble unlocking the door."

"He said he began shouting commands for the suspect to get down on the floor and the suspect was not complying. He said in the dim light he could not tell what the suspect was pointing at him," a CPD officer wrote in a criminal complaint filed in Magistrate Court.

• Tenorio told officers he "owned a number of weapons" ... "and the suspect(s) would have had access to all of them."

• Rachel Tenorio said she called the police while her husband entered the house, "holding his gun in the center of his chest."

"She said she heard some loud voices but couldn't make out what was being said, then she heard a gunshot," the officer wrote. "She thought it was a warning shot."

Rachel Tenorio stayed on the line with dispatchers until they arrived, while pulling out of the carport to gain distance from any more gunfire.

• Inside the house, Tenorio was "continually ordering (Cordova) to the floor," wrote the officer. "(Cordova) was ignoring the commands and then (Cordova) made a furtive movement causing (Tenorio) to believe he was most probably going to be injured."

Cordova allegedly then "turned and threw something" at Tenorio, who responded with one gunshot.

Cordova "was able to get the front door open" but "then went to the ground and began moaning."

• Officers arrived moments later and began to treat Cordova's wound while other officers secured the area, according to a CPD press release.

• Based on the second bicycle outside the house, officers began searching for a second suspect. Cordova told one officer a first name, "Tyler," but said he didn't know a last name. Cordova was soon transferred to Plains Regional Medical Center and later airlifted to Lubbock.

Police closed off the immediate area of Ross Street, a dead end, while searching for the second suspect. They soon made contact with a resident of the 1300 block of Lea Street, who said that Skyler Romero was inside his house and had personally told him he was involved in the burglary earlier that night.

By the time police entered the residence on Lea Street, Romero had "fled out a rear window."

Police had mostly cleared the scene of the incident around 11 p.m.

Shortly before midnight that same night, a man identifying himself as Cordova's father contacted police for information on the incident. The man told police he "was convinced his son Roderick and (Romero) had been committing burglaries recently," and "was certain (Romero) would be the second suspect," according to police reports.

An attempt Friday to reach Cordova's family was unsuccessful.