Nicolas Montoya

On March 29, 2024, the life of Nicolas Montoya, a 21-year-old Hispanic man from Roswell, New Mexico, was tragically cut short by gun violence. Known to some as Nico Lucero, his death left a community reeling from the sudden loss.

That Friday, Roswell police officers responded to calls about gunshots in the 300 block of East Van Buren Street. When they arrived, they discovered Nicolas suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation that followed revealed that Nicolas had been a passenger in a vehicle and had been involved in an exchange of gunfire. A second person in the car with him was not injured. Investigators later found a vehicle with gunshot damage on East Reed Street and learned that there had been past conflicts between Nicolas and the men believed to be responsible.

The day after the shooting, on March 30, the Roswell Police Department arrested two suspects, Eric Contreras and Miguel Soltero. Both men were charged with murder and tampering with evidence in connection with Nicolas’s death. As the investigation continued, authorities identified a third suspect, 27-year-old Javier Salinas Jr., and issued a warrant for his arrest on April 3.

On April 4, Roswell detectives spotted Salinas driving and attempted to pull him over. He fled, leading officers on a high-speed chase that reached nearly 100 mph before he crashed into a yard. According to police, Salinas exited the vehicle with a gun and fired at the detectives, who returned fire. Salinas ran a short distance before collapsing and was found deceased between two buildings. At the time of his death, he was wanted on charges of aggravated assault and a gun charge related to Nicolas’s murder.

Police officials have stated that the shooting was part of an ongoing feud between the parties involved. In May 2024, the murder and tampering with evidence charges against Eric Contreras were dismissed without prejudice. As of that month, the charges against Miguel Soltero were still pending, and the case remains in litigation.