Wanted Carlsbad man arrested in Las Cruces after pointing a gun at LCPD officers
Ruben Lugo Jr., who police said shot and injured a 22-year-old man outside of Carlsbad Medical Center earlier this year, was arrested in Las Cruces after allegedly pointing a gun at officers when approached.
Lugo Jr., 39, was charged with three additional counts on Feb. 9 in Las Cruces of aggravated assault on a peace officer, along with possession of firearm by a felon and resisting arrest. Those charges were dismissed as he was transferred to Eddy County to face several felony charges related to the hospital shooting and another in December 2023.
Jail records show Lugo Jr. was transferred to Eddy County Detention Center on Feb. 26 to face the charges.
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Before his arrest in Las Cruces, police said Las Cruces police officers approached Lugo Jr. after receiving his description and possible location during a joint operation with the Carlsbad Police Department.
He ignored orders from the police and walked away when confronted, police said, later turning and pointing the gun at the police.
Angelina Guevara, 30, who police believed was Lugo Jr.’s girlfriend and helped him evade law enforcement after the shootings, was arrested and booked into the detention center Feb. 13. She was released on bond Feb. 26 despite a petition that Guevara be held in custody ahead of trial filed by the Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
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Guevara faced two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, harboring or aiding a felon, and breaking and entering.
Police said Lugo Jr. shot a man in the parking lot area of a sonogram clinic next door to the Carlsbad Medical Center on Jan. 24.
The man was with his girlfriend and his mother, and the three were leaving the clinic when police said surveillance footage shows Lugo Jr. exit the vehicle and shoot the man in the stomach after an apparent verbal altercation.
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“The suspect asked them what they were looking at,” read a criminal complaint.
Lugo Jr. was positively identified through a lineup of men with his description, the complaint read. Video footage showed him leaving the scene as a passenger in a silver Ford Escape registered to Guevara, leading officers to believe she was driving.
The vehicle was found unattended and tested positive for gunshot residue consistent with a left-handed shooter, police said. The surveillance footage allegedly showed Lugo Jr. shooting at the man with his left hand.
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The next day, police said a man reported two people matching descriptions of Lugo Jr. and Guevara breaking into his apartment while he was moving to a different residence.
In its motion to hold Lugo Jr. in pretrial detention, prosecutors pointed to several past convictions including for shooting at an occupied dwelling, burglary, drug possession and shoplifting.
Prosecutors argued Lugo Jr. also absconded from probation after cutting of his ankle monitor and missed multiple court dates in past cases.
“If the defendant were to be released on the current charges, he would pose a great risk to the community,” read the petition. “The defendant has shown a willingness to engage in violent crimes and that he has no issue using firearms and violence.”
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Wanted Carlsbad man arrested by Las Cruces Police officers
