One dead after weekend stabbing. Here's what we know
LAS CRUCES – A Las Cruces man is charged with killing another man after police discovered a body on Telshor Boulevard over the weekend.
King David Mungin Jr., 31, stands charged with voluntary manslaughter after police say he stabbed George Scott Suckow, 43, during a fight on May 6. Mungin remains in jail as of the publication of this article. A 3rd Judicial District Attorney's Office spokesperson confirmed that prosecutors would seek to hold Mungin in jail ahead of trial.
According to an affidavit by LCPD Detective Diana Renteria, Mungin confessed to stabbing Suckow at the outset of a fight this weekend. Mungin told police that Suckow had been harassing him for months. Mungin said things came to a head Saturday night when he ran into Suckow on West Picacho Avenue.
According to Renteria's affidavit, the two men came to blows but eventually broke off the fight. Mungin said he walked away from the brawl, but Suckow continued to follow him and threatened to kill him. Before long, a second fight broke out. This time, Mungin said he pulled out a knife and stabbed Suckow once. Mungin said he saw Suckow run west before he left the area.
At about 2 a.m., LCPD Officer Andrew Tuton discovered Suckow on the 1500 block of West Picacho. Tuton called for first responders, who loaded Suckow into an ambulance headed to Memorial Medical Center. During the ride, according to the affidavit, Suckow told the first responders that he was stabbed by a man named King.
But as the ambulance neared the hospital, police riding alongside Suckow said that Suckow became disorderly. The officers, who Renteria did not name in the affidavit, said Suckow began refusing treatment, refusing to go to the hospital, and no longer wanted to pursue charges against King. So, the first responders let him out on the 3800 block of Lohman Avenue and watched as Suckow walked away.
About four hours, police found Suckow again. This time, he was lying in the 775 South Telshor parking lot – which formally housed Wing Daddy's Sauce House. Police said Suckow was dead when they arrived.
After his arrest, Mungin now faces a pretrial detention hearing which may hold him in jail until a trial is held, the charges are dropped, or other circumstances permit his release. For a judge to keep Mungin in jail, prosecutors must prove that Mungin is a danger to the public and that no form of bond could ensure public safety. That hearing has yet to be set as of this article's publication.
This killing is the fourth homicide in Las Cruces this year. Crime data shows that the City typically records between five and 10 homicides yearly.
Justin Garcia covers public safety and local government in Las Cruces. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com, via phone or text at 575-541-5449, or on Twitter @Just516Garc.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: One dead after weekend stabbing. Here's what we know
