Jury indicts suspect in slaying of Hatch officer
Two others indicted on drug charges connected to incident
LAS CRUCES — A grand jury on Thursday indicted Jesse Hanes for murder in the killing of Hatch police officer Jose Chavez and indicted two other men on drug charges connected to the incident, according to court documents.
The grand jury in the 3rd Judicial District returned an indictment on felony murder, drug and assault charges against 38-year-old Hanes: first-degree murder, willful and deliberate; trafficking methamphetamines; distribution of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer; and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
“This is the most important case we have,” said District Attorney Mark D’Antonio. “It’s important for the process to move quickly. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty. But we are going to spend resources ensuring justice is done.”
On the afternoon of Aug. 12, Chavez pulled over a 1991 silver Lexus sedan on a main drag in Hatch.
Hanes was driving, with James Nelson, 36, in the passenger seat, according to court documents. The two men were fugitives from an Ohio murder and were allegedly carrying enough meth and marijuana to be dealers, according to the complaints against them. In the back was a hitchhiker, Tony Jones.
Hanes allegedly shot Chavez
through the passenger side window, then fled from law enforcement. He stopped at a rest area off Interstate 25, split off from the other two men and allegedly stole a vehicle from a bystander, whom he shot, according to court documents.
Chavez died from his injuries at an El Paso hospital.
The grand jury on Thursday also returned indictments on Nelson and Jones. Nelson faces drug trafficking, distribution and possession charges, and Jones faces a drug possession charge.
Hanes pleaded not guilty to federal firearms and carjacking charges Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Las Cruces. He has not entered a plea on the charges connected with the state’s indictment.
Regarding whether the state or federal government will proceed first in their cases against Hanes, D’Antonio said he is in communication with the Office of the U.S. Attorney in New Mexico and said, “There will be no squabbling.”
“We’re going to do whatever is best for the case,” he said.
The tragedy of Chavez’s death — he was the father of two girls, 6-year-old Aryam and 14-year-old Jannely — led to a tremendous outpouring of support for his family and the law enforcement community in southern New Mexico, including multiple fundraisers. A public funeral for Chavez on Sunday drew thousands of mourners.