Two male individuals were detained today following a standoff with task force agents from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office and Artesia Police Department officers in the 400 block of Cleveland Avenue.
The operation was conducted in connection with the murder of Danny E. Mendes, 49, of Roswell, whose body was found Sunday lying in the roadway near the intersection of Haystack and Four Dinkus roads south of Artesia.
Authorities were dispatched around 11:15 a.m. to the scene in reference to a potential murder suspect. Law enforcement secured the area and began ordering individuals over a bullhorn to exit the home.
Lt. Matt Hutchinson of the ECSO said the department had received a tip this morning in reference to persons of interest in the Mendes case and obtained a search warrant for the home at 405 Cleveland Ave. He said the use of the tactical team was a precautionary measure due to the nature of the investigation.
Two men, whose identities were not available, exited the home and were detained without incident. Authorities remained on scene, ordering a third individual they believed may have been in the home to exit. A few hours later, a loud blast was heard, and law enforcement began moving in.
According to Cmdr. Lindell Smith of the APD, a flashbang device was utilized in front of the home as officers made entry. No other individuals were found inside, and no injuries were reported in relation to the operation.
Nearby Roselawn Elementary School and Artesia Head Start were both placed on lockdown during the incident. Those lockdowns have been lifted, and no children were in danger in relation to the operation.
The two men detained are undergoing questioning.
