ROSWELL — Two men have been arrested for the murder of a Roswell man last December in east Roswell.
The arrests were made late Tuesday afternoon as a result of the investigation into the shooting death of 32-year-old Joe Anthony Garza.
Frank A. Montoya, 18, and Louie Joseph Archuleta, 19, both of Roswell, were each arrested on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. They were booked into the Chaves County Detention Center on $500,000 cash-only bonds. Montoya was arrested at his home in the 2900 block of South Emerald Drive. Archuleta was arrested at the jail, where he was already incarcerated in another case.
An officer responding to a 911 call at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 14, 2014, found Garza in the roadway at the intersection of East Tilden Street and South Mulberry Avenue. Garza, who had been riding his bike at the time, was shot multiple times in the torso, arms and legs. He died at the scene. Witnesses saw a vehicle leaving the scene following the shooting.
During the investigation, detectives learned that prior to the shooting, the suspects had made threats to Garza’s family members in which the suspects said they were going to kill Garza.
Investigators believe Garza was shot in retaliation for a fight that previously took place involving the three men. The previous fight did not involve weapons.
