A man suspected of fatally stabbing his 30-year-old friend Wednesday evening, and stealing the victim’s vehicle has been arrested and charged with murder.
Israel Torrez, 27, is charged with an open count of murder, resisting or obstructing an officer, and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.
Shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, Las Cruces Police were called to the report of an altercation and stabbing on the 2200 block of Rosedale Drive. Officers arrived and found a 30-year-old man on the sidewalk, suffering from multiple stab wounds to his torso, neck and arms.
The victim was identified as Ramon Robledo who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary information from the investigation indicates that Torrez and Robledo were friends but got into a fight inside a vehicle where the stabbings occurred. Residents of the 2200 block of Rosedale Drive told investigators that they called 911 after hearing screams for help and finding Robledo on the sidewalk.
Torrez was apprehended after a black Buick Rainier was seen tailgating another vehicle. Officers stopped the Rainier driven by Torrez on the 1300 block of north Mesquite Street.
Torrez and the front seats of the Rainier were observed to be covered in blood. Detectives are continuing their investigation and will execute a search warrant in an attempt to recover the weapon used in this crime.
Torrez was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center with a cash-only bond set at $1 million.