After nearly two years of investigation, Doña Ana County Sheriff’s detectives have identified a suspect in the fatal stabbing of David Escamilla, 17, and have obtained an arrest warrant for Lawrence Joshua Lucero, 19.
Escamilla died on Oct. 19, 2014, while being transported to an El Paso-area hospital. According to witnesses, Escamilla had been in a fight earlier that night at a house party in the 5600 block of Bravo Road.
Detectives assigned to the case have interviewed several witnesses and say they have enough evidence to charge Lucero. He is the second suspect facing charges in the case.
A criminal complaint in the case was filed Thursday in Magistrate Court. According to the complaint, Lucero was with two females and 20-year-old Ismael Montoya when the four allegedly went to the party on Bravo Road, where they were confronted by 19-year-old Christopher Calzada.
A fight ensued between Calzada and Lucero. According to both men and witnesses, Escamilla and Montoya joined in.
During interviews with detectives, all parties agreed there was a knife produced during the fight, although initially no one took ownership of the weapon.
When the fight dispersed, friends took Escamilla and Calzada to Mountain View Medical Center. Both were said to have suffered stab wounds.
Escamilla later died during transport to University Medical Center in El Paso. An autopsy showed he suffered stab wounds to each lung.
Calzada was treated and released.
Sheriff’s deputies who interviewed several people at the party later located Montoya and Lucero at a home in the 1700 block of Hadley. The home is allegedly where the two females lived with their grandmother. According to court documents, it was at that house where Montoya and Lucero changed clothes and allegedly hid a knife that detectives believe was used in the fight.
During the investigation, detectives were given information which implicated a relative who may have allegedly disposed of the knife.
Less than a week after the stabbing, Montoya surrendered to sheriff’s detectives. He was initially charged with second-degree murder and aggravated battery.
Several months into the investigation, information was given to detectives about a text message that was sent to Lucero’s girlfriend’s sister. The text message allegedly contained information that Montoya might not have been the one to deliver the fatal stab, and that Lucero was also keeping information from law enforcement.
Lucero is charged with second-degree murder and aggravated battery. Thursday morning, Judge Richard Jacquez issued a $500,000 cash-only bond, along with a warrant for his arrest.
Information from Doña Ana County