Background: On May 28, 2024, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez appealed the pretrial detention decision for Cristian Bencomo, accused of shooting his stepmother at a graduation ceremony in Albuquerque on May 8. Despite the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office twice requesting pretrial detention and presenting video evidence, Judge Emeterio Rudolfo denied the requests, placing Bencomo under house arrest with a GPS monitor. The Supreme Court denied NMDOJ’s appeal on this matter. Bencomo remains out of custody, living with his grandmother.
Statement: “I am deeply disappointed in the New Mexico Supreme Court’s decision to deny our appeal of Cristian Bencomo’s pretrial release,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “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.”
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