Las Cruces Teen Arrested in Road Rage Shooting Death of 14-Year-Old

Jonathan Estrada, 18, was taken into custody September 25, 2025, at a business on the 6300 block of Bataan Memorial West off Highway 70 in Las Cruces, nearly four months after a road rage shooting killed 14-year-old Alejandro Roman near the intersection of Solano Drive and Spruce Avenue. He was booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center and is being held without bond.

Alejandro was a backseat passenger in a vehicle his parent was driving when, at approximately 9 p.m. on June 2, 2025, he was struck by gunfire. Investigators say he was asleep at the time. Among his belongings when he died was a small toy Hot Wheels car in his pocket, a detail detectives noted as a reflection of his love of cars.

Estrada is believed to have been driving a white mid-size SUV, estimated as a 2018 to 2022 model, at the time of the shooting. Officers took him into custody without incident and Las Cruces Police released body-camera footage capturing the arrest. He faces seven felony counts: second-degree murder, two counts of shooting at or from a motor vehicle, and two counts of aggravated assault.

The investigation drew federal resources over its four-month span. The ATF Phoenix Field Division posted a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, separate from a $2,000 reward offered by Crime Stoppers of Las Cruces–Doña Ana County. LCPD Detective Carlos Carrillo, who led community outreach throughout the investigation, called it "a careless act of violence that occurred in our city."

Alejandro's family spent months making public appeals before the arrest. His sister, Isabella Roman, described the toll: "I can't sleep, my sister can't sleep, my mom can barely eat. Please, please come forward." A family member identified as Garcia directed a message at whoever was responsible: "Whoever pulled that trigger, if you have someone you love, just understand where we're coming from. Please come forward. For this to be left unsettled is a nightmare I haven't woken up from."

Las Cruces Police issued two news releases on the day of Estrada's arrest. The first withheld his name, citing a continuing investigation; the second, published five hours later, publicly identified him. LCPD has stated the investigation remains ongoing.