Son arrested in death of mother

CLOVIS – Police believe a 27-year-old Clovis man shot and killed his mother on Wednesday and left her body under a pile of clothes.

Martin Caballero, 27, is accused of shooting Joann Caballero, 47, in the face at her home, a small backyard house in the 1200 block of North Lea Street.

Martin Caballero was in the Curry County Adult Detention Center this weekend, charged with murder and tampering with evidence.

An arrest affidavit shows police were called to the residence at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday by Jessup Parsons. Parsons' wife Christina described Joann Caballero and Jessup Parsons as "best friends." Christina Parsons said Jessup went to see Joann Caballero daily and they had been close friends for many years.

"Joann was a very important part of our lives as well as others," Christina Parsons said.

Jessup Parsons told police he'd seen Martin Caballero come from the backyard house and asked about the whereabouts of his mother.

At first he told Parsons she would not be home but then said, "Joann's not coming home, I killed [her]," court records show.

Parsons said he found Joann Caballero's body under a pile of clothes and Parsons believed her to be dead after feeling her leg.

Parsons also told police that Martin Caballero possibly had a large knife in his back pocket.

Records show officers arrived on the scene about 7:10 p.m. and went to the backyard house where a padlock for the door appeared to have been broken.

One officer entered the home and saw a pile of clothes and also saw blood-spattered skin.

Some of the clothes in the pile were removed, a carotid artery was checked for a pulse and there was none, records show. Joann Caballero was declared dead at the scene.

Officers entered the main house on the property and located Martin Caballero in a bathroom, according to the arrest affidavit. He appeared to have just had a shower.

Martin Caballero was detained then transported to the Clovis Police Department to be interviewed.

Martin Caballero "did not provide much information in regards to the incident," the court record shows.

Investigators found a spent PMC 9mm Luger casing inside Joann Caballero's home.

Joann Caballero's homicide is the sixth in Clovis this year and the ninth of 2022 in the Clovis/Portales area.