Las Cruces, N.M. (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Three years after 17-year-old Benjamin Archuleta was shot and killed in Las Cruces just a day before his 18th birthday, his family is speaking publicly for the first time, describing the teenager they lost and renewing calls for accountability amid ongoing concerns about juvenile crime in the city.<\/p>\n
Jennifer Archuleta Marquez, Archuleta\u2019s sister, remembered him as \u201cfunny, outgoing, and he\u2019d love to make people laugh.\u201d His mother, Gloria Rios Archuleta, said, \u201cHe liked cars, he was just a joy.\u201d <\/p>\n
His sister, Candice Archuleta, said, \u201cMy brother was the type of guy to help everybody out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Archuleta was killed while driving in Las Cruces in March 2023. Gloria Rios Archuleta said the shooting followed an earlier confrontation. \u201cHe got into a fight at Chucky\u2019s with the murderer, and then they followed him from Chucky\u2019s, and the guy killed him on mile marker eight,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Jennifer Archuleta Marquez described the family\u2019s grief and the milestones they say were taken from them. \u201cI just remember just breaking down because it was not supposed to be like that. You know, I did not get the chance to be an aunt to his kids. I didn\u2019t get to see him fall in love. We didn\u2019t even get to see him graduate and that\u2019s heartbreaking,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She also said the shooting was not random. \u201cBefore my brother was killed, this individual was always threatening him for two years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The suspect in the case is Drake Armendariz, who was 16 at the time of the shooting. The trial has been prolonged, and Gloria Rios Archuleta said, \u201cI was upset, but I knew it was coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
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