Deming, NM – Using the Automatic License Plate Recognition system (ALPR), New Mexico State Police arrested an individual who struck and killed a bicyclist.

On November 23, 2024, at approximately 1:00 p.m., NMSP officers were dispatched to a fatal accident involving a vehicle and bicyclist on State Road 11 near milepost 8. A passing motorist noticed debris and a bicycle in the dirt off the shoulder of the road and stopped to check the area. They called 911 when they saw a man, identified as 69-year-old Kevin O'Leary, deceased near his bicycle. The suspect vehicle had fled the scene and there were no witnesses.

Based on the crash debris found at the scene, a be on the lookout (BOLO) was put out for a red vehicle that may have front-end damage. The LPR system was utilized to identify the suspect vehicle, a 2011 red Cadillac sedan. Border Patrol and Customs notified NMSP that a vehicle matching that description had crossed into Mexico immediately following the crash at the Columbus Port of Entry.

The driver of the Cadillac was later positively identified as 33-year-old Noel Ronquillo Jr. An arrest warrant was obtained for Ronquillo Jr, and he was taken into custody without incident in Deming, NM on November 25, 2024, and charged with:

1)Involuntary Manslaughter
2) Knowingly Leaving the Scene of an Accident (Great Bodily Harm or Death)

"ALPR technology has been widely praised for improving law enforcement's ability to track and capture criminals" said New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler. "In just a short time, this system identified a vehicle that was involved in a homicide, leading to an arrest. If not for this technology, this case might not have been solved so swiftly, and a dangerous offender might have still been on the street."