Las Cruces Police investigators continue to ask for the public’s help in locating Abel Montes, 37, who is suspected of beating a 61-year-old man on July 1, dumping the victim on the East Mesa and stealing man’s vehicle.
Montes, who resided in Las Cruces or Vado, N.M., may now be in the El Paso area or in Mexico and could be traveling with his girlfriend, 41-year-old Martina Hernandez of Las Cruces. Detectives believe the woman may no longer be traveling with Montes voluntarily.
Police have released photos of Montes and Hernandez with the hopes of gaining information on their whereabouts.
At around 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, police were dispatched to the 5300 block of Sunny Acres Drive on the city’s East Mesa where a 61-year-old man was falling in and out of consciousness. Detectives learned that the victim had been dropped off just inside city limits on Peach Tree Hills and his vehicle, a 2002 Dodge Neon, had been stolen. The victim somehow made his way to a residence on Sunny Acres Drive where he sought help.
He was in critical condition with blunt force trauma to his head when flown to University Medical Center of El Paso. He remains hospitalized today.
The victim’s Dodge Neon was located in El Paso a couple days after the incident.
Montes is Hispanic and described as 6-feet-2-inches tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. Hernandez, also Hispanic, is 5-feet-two-inches tall and weighs approximately 160 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Montes and Las Cruces Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to his apprehension. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Montes or Hernandez is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or send a tip by text message to CRIMES (274637), keyword LCTIPS.
The Crime Stoppers number and text messaging services are operational 24 hours a day and you do not have to give your name to collect a reward.