New Mexico Supreme Court sides with appeals court on pre-trial detention ruling

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The man accused of a shooting during a crowded graduation ceremony will remain out of jail. Police said Cristian Bencomo shot his stepmother in the neck during a commencement ceremony at the Albuquerque Convention Center in May.

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The state asked to have Bencomo locked up based on video evidence. Judge Emeterio Rudolfo denied their request . He said the video shows Bencomo attending the event but does not show him shooting the gun.

After an appeal with the appellate court failed, the New Mexico Department of Justice filed a motion asking the state Supreme Court to hear the case. The state Supreme Court denied it.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez sent this statement:

I am deeply disappointed in the New Mexico Supreme Court’s decision to deny our appeal of Cristian Bencomo’s pretrial release. Judge Rudolfo’s ruling, which placed Bencomo on a GPS monitor after he attempted to murder someone at a graduation ceremony at the Albuquerque Convention Center, is just one more example of a catch-and-release culture that continues to endanger public safety.

This decision also demonstrates the urgent need for the New Mexico Legislature to stop pretending that this system works and do something before another innocent victim is harmed.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez

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