Buena Vista, NM ( KKOB) – A 16-year old Buena Vista, NM male is in a juvenile detention center charged with second degree murder in connection with the shooting death of a man in Buena Vista which is north of Las Vegas, NM in Mora County. Seth Gomez, was arrested by New Mexico State Police after a murder was reported at County Road C011 in rural Mora County on February 20th. Earlier that morning, police had received reports of 10 to 15 gunshots heard in the same area coming from a white pickup. Units were also called to the area in reference to a man who had been shot inside his home. The victim was identified a 30-year old Malik Richards.
Investigators found a bullet had entered through a window. Agents then determined that Gomez was a suspect in the shooting and found him hours later in Santa Rosa in possession of a weapon which matched the same caliber of bullet casings found at the murder scene. After conducting numerous interviews, agents learned that Gomez and other juveniles were driving around the Buena Vista area in a vehicle and drinking alcohol. Several witness accounts and video evidence show Gomez firing the rifle outside of the truck, and Gomez later admitted in an interview that he fired the weapon.
Gomez was booked into a juvenile detention facility and is currently charged with the following:
• Second Degree Murder
• Shooting At or From a Motor Vehicle (Death)
• Tampering with evidence X2
• Negligent Use of a Deadly Weapon (Intoxication)
This case remains under investigation by the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau.
This case remains under investigation by the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau.
