Hacienda de Mesilla offering reward for return of beloved decorative burro statue

Jessica Onsurez, Las Cruces Sun-News
Updated ·2 min read

Visitors to Hacienda de Mesilla know Lupe, a decorative burro that welcomes guests and guards the entrance to the boutique inn and cantina in Old Mesilla.

Lupe went missing on Feb. 16, and owner Jerean Hutchinson wants her back, offering a reward for any information that will bring Lupe home.

Jordan Moreno, event coordinator at Hacienda de Mesilla, said staff became aware Lupe was missing Feb. 17 and reported it to police.

Lupe, in the courtyard of Hacienda de Mesilla.
Lupe, in the courtyard of Hacienda de Mesilla.

While Lupe's disappearance has spread on social media and by word of mouth, Moreno said there is still no word of who might have taken the burro or where Lupe might be now.

“We just started calling her Lupe. She had a tattered hat and looked like a regular brown and white donkey," Jerean Hutchinson said. "She needed a nickname and Lupe is what it was by all the staff at the time. Then she got painted. She has always been at Hacienda.”

Lupe spent years in front of a cart bearing seasonal decorations and became a prop in countless photos taken by visitors to Hacienda de Mesilla. Two years ago, the burro was custom painted by Mary Wunderlich, owner of MEW & + Company.

More: Hacienda de Mesilla to offer casual, upscale dining

"Everybody who comes in and sees her, when they enter they want to take a picture," Moreno said. "Everybody who has come into Hacienda has seen or attached their experience with her."

Hutchinson and her husband Tom, owners of La Posta in Mesilla, purchased Hacienda de Mesilla in 2017. It's located at 1891 Avenida de Mesilla. Previously named Meson de Mesilla, the property was renovated by the Hutchinsons and rebranded. Hacienda de Mesilla offers guest rooms, a full service cantina and grille and a venue for large events.

A reward poster offers an incentive for anyone with information on who took Lupe to come forward.
A reward poster offers an incentive for anyone with information on who took Lupe to come forward.

Anyone who might have information about Lupe should contact Hacienda de Mesilla at 575-652-4953.

Jessica Onsurez can be reached at jonsurez@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @jussGREAT.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Hacienda de Mesilla's decorative burro statue stolen; reward offered