Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
One expected to be charged with murder; another suspect still at large
Clovis police are investigating a Sunday morning shooting death for the second time in a week.
Clovis police on Monday afternoon took three people into custody they believe were involved in the Sunday morning shooting death in the 900 block of West Ninth Street.
One of the suspects was expected to be charged with an open count of murder, Capt. Robert Telles said.
A fourth suspect is still being sought, Telles said, and will “most likely” also face murder charges.
Two of those arrested face charges related to armed robbery, which led to the shooting death of Anibal Salguero, 31. Telles and District Attorney Quentin Ray said the man suspected of murder was expected to be formally charged sometime Tuesday afternoon.
All three suspects were being held in the Curry County Adult Detention Center on Tuesday.
Police Chief Roy Rice said Salguero is from Honduras, but was living and working in Clovis.
A witness told police that he was in a car with Salguero when two men began asking him for money. When Salguero refused to give them money, “One of the guys shot into the car like a warning shot,” the witness told police.
“The victim got up out of the vehicle and attempted to grab the gun from these males. … (A)nother shot rang out and that was when Anibal fell to the ground.”
The three taken into police custody Wednesday were located together at the La Vista Inn in Clovis.
Rice said Salguero was clearly the intended target, dismissing early reports of a drive-by shooting. “(The suspects) flat walked up and shot him,” Rice said.
A police incident report released Tuesday shows witnesses reported two black males wearing masks attempted to rob Salguero.
A witness said Salguero “refused to give the suspects whatever they were demanding and pushed one of the subjects.”
The witness told police he then went into his residence where he heard two gunshots.
The shooting was reported at 9:22 a.m. Sunday.
The victim showed “no signs of life” when police arrived, officials said.
Salguero was on the ground between two vehicles. “He was bleeding from the head or facial area and obviously deceased,” according to the incident report.
Police found three spent shell casings in the area, all .45 caliber.
The homicide was the second in Clovis in a week. On July 2, in an unrelated incident, police said Ruben Mireles, 41, was shot to death in the 2100 block of West Grand Avenue. Jessie Ruiz, 31, is charged with second-degree murder in that case.
