On January 9, 2024, at about 10:26 p.m., police responded to a shooting at the Allsup’s convenience store at 316 N. Marland in Hobbs, New Mexico. Officers found 48-year-old Jessie Torrez Jr., a Hispanic male, in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Investigators identified two suspects early in the probe: a mother and her teenage son. Arrest warrants were issued for 45-year-old Irene Mendez and 19-year-old Joseph Mendez, both from Hobbs. Authorities believe Joseph Mendez was the shooter and Irene Mendez acted as an accessory. Irene Mendez was arrested on January 11, 2024, and charged with accessory to commit murder, a first-degree felony. Joseph Mendez surrendered to the Hobbs Police Department on January 12, 2024.

Anyone who was near the Allsup’s that night or who has information about Jessie Torrez Jr. or the events leading up to the shooting is asked to come forward.