The Hobbs Police Department (HPD) has obtained an arrest warrant for Jose Muro, age 27. A resident of Hobbs, Muro is charged with a second degree felony in connection with the shooting death of 25-year-old Jiovanny Morales, of Hobbs.

“An arrest warrant [for Muro] was issued on Wednesday afternoon [May 31],” states a Noticiero Mundo article. 

A HPD press release specifies the second degree felony charge as Accessory to: Shooting At or From a Motor Vehicle (causing great bodily harm).

Reanna Alarcon, HPD Public Information and Community Relations Officer, outlines in the press release the incident that led to the issuance of the arrest warrant. Officer Alarcon says that HPD officers responded on May 28, around 10:30 a. m., to a report that shots had been fired at the intersection of West Broadway and South Grimes streets. When HPD officers arrived at the scene, they found Morales “suffering from a gunshot wound”. The officers “performed life-saving measures until the arrival of Hobbs Fire Department EMS. Mr. Morales was transported to Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.”

Through its investigation of the incident the HPD has learned that Morales “…was a passenger in a vehicle and was being followed by a male subject in a different vehicle. The identity of the driver of the other vehicle was confirmed to be 27-year-old Jose Muro of Hobbs, NM.”

Several witnesses have already provided the HPD with “investigative leads” in this ongoing investigation. 

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the HPD. Their dispatch number is (575) 397-9265. Lea County Crime Stoppers number is (575) 393-8005. The person providing information “may be available for a cash reward”. 

As an alternative the public may message the HPD privately on its Facebook page. Anyone using this platform is advised that the HPD does not monitor its Facebook page in “real time”. Consequently, “real-time crime” should not be reported via Facebook.