Artesia man has seventh set of charges dismissed on grounds of incompetency

For the seventh time in three years, an Artesia man has had criminal charges dismissed on the grounds of incompetency.

Cruz Alexander Munoz, 31, had his latest charge of criminal trespassing dismissed April 5 by the Fifth Judicial District Court. Munoz was arrested on the charge by the Artesia Police Department on Feb. 14 while actively awaiting a competency determination on his Dec. 26, 2023, arrest for receiving stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia, bringing contraband into a jail, criminal trespassing, and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.

Those charges were dismissed due to a district court determination of incompetency five days after Munoz’s Feb. 14 arrest. He subsequently failed to appear in court on his most recent criminal trespassing charge, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on Feb. 15. He was taken into custody on Feb. 27 and had since been incarcerated at the Eddy County Detention Center until his release April 4.

Munoz has now been released for incompetency a total of seven times since 2021, with his full spate of charges including three counts of criminal trespassing; two counts each of burglary of a vehicle, larceny and receiving stolen property; bringing contraband into a jail; tampering with evidence; possession of drug paraphernalia; and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.

In 2019, however, Munoz was found — after being committed to the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute for evaluation — competent to stand trial on a Feb. 6, 2017, charge of aggravated assault upon a peace officer with a deadly weapon. He pleaded guilty Jan. 27, 2020, before Judge Lisa B. Riley in Fifth Judicial District Court.