Source: Office of United States Attorneys
ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for carjacking and firearms offenses stemming from a violent incident in February 2023.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on February 19, 2023, officers from the Las Cruces Police Department attempted to stop a black Cadillac sedan with no visible license plate. The vehicle refused to pull over and was later located parked in front of the Rack Room Shoes store on E. Lohman Ave.
Officers observed Sergio Ivan Enriquez, 41, walking towards the Cadillac. Upon seeing the officers, Enriquez fled on foot. Shortly after, officers heard on the radio that an individual matching Enriquez‘s description had stolen a vehicle at gunpoint in the same parking lot.
During the carjacking, Enriquez entered the victim’s vehicle through the front passenger door, demanding that the victim “get out or drive.” When the victim refused, Enriquez pulled out a gray handgun, forcing the victim to exit the vehicle. Enriquez then drove off in the car with the victim’s dog still inside.
Later that day, authorities located the stolen Volkswagen, the dog, and Enriquez at a residence in Las Cruces. A search of the residence uncovered a gray handgun in the kitchen oven. Additionally, a shotgun was found in the Cadillac from which Enriquez had initially fled.
At the time of the incident, Enriquez, previously convicted of child abuse in 2014, was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Upon his release from prison, Enriquez will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Ry Ellison prosecuted the case.
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