Saturday Las Cruces crash ruled homicide

Las Cruces police have determined that the man killed in a crash Saturday in Las Cruces was shot before crashing into a parked car.

Roy Daniel Santos, 31, was found dead inside his car after the crash at the intersection of May Avenue and Martinez Street. Santos' family told KFOX14 they suspected he may have been shot before he crashed.

Krystal Paiz said that Santos is her brother-in-law

Witnesses said that the victim drove into a parked car along Martinez Street before crashing into a fence.

Santos' body was taken to the New Mexico medical investigator's office, where it was determined that he died as a result of a gunshot wound.

Paiz said that the victim was the father of a 4-year-old boy.

Paiz said that several family members tried calling him after he was supposed to get of work at the Suburbia Smokeshop, which is up the block from the crash scene, but he didn't answer their calls.

"It's so tragic," Paiz said. "He always answers and he didn't answer and he was supposed to pick up my mother-in-law. He never made it."

Paiz said that the family believes her brother-in-law could have been the target of a robbery.

"That store where he worked, it was robbed not too long ago," Paiz said.

Detectives said they believe Santos was shot just prior to traveling westbound on May Avenue from Solano Drive. That portion of May Avenue is marked as one-way for eastbound traffic. Santos' vehicle struck the front-end of a parked car near Martinez Street before rolling over and crashing through a fence. No other injuries were reported.

Paiz said that they think her brother-in-law may have been shot and tried to escape driving down Martinez Street before he lost consciousness and eventually succumbed to his injuries.

Las Cruces police said that there were reports of nearby gunshots but have not confirmed whether the gunfire is connected to the crash -- though police said it's a possibility.

'He was everything," Paiz said. "He was everything to the family. He was truly the heart of the family."

Las Cruces police detectives are asking for anyone with pertinent information to please call Las Cruces Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or send a tip via text message to LCTIPS (528477).

Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the person, or persons, responsible for Santos' death. The Crime Stoppers number and text messaging services are operational 24 hours a day and you do not have to give your name to collect a reward.