2 New Mexico Corrections Officers hurt in inmate attack

Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
Published: 18 July 2019 18 July 2019

Las Cruces, NM – On July 16, 2019 at around 9:00 p.m., the New Mexico State Police was contacted to investigate an aggravated assault on a peace officer at Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Investigators learned at around 7:30 p.m., a prison nurse, escorted by a sergeant and officer, entered a pod at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility to deliver medicine to inmates. During this time, an inmate got into a verbal argument with a control center officer.  The nurse finished passing out medication and left the pod. The officer and sergeant returned to the pod to place the inmates in lockdown. 

As the sergeant spoke to the inmates, other inmates congregated around the pod door. The sergeant and officer were attacked by Five (5) inmates. The control officer responded by using less lethal shotgun and pepper ball grenades to stop the attack. A facility team responded and secured the pod. The five inmates were identified as Gabriel Sedillo (47), Rico Sena (32), Robert Dyment (35), Martin Cuevas (35), and Irvin Ramirez (26).   

The two correctional officers were transported to an area hospital with severe non-life-threatening injuries. The nurse was not injured during the incident.

New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau Agents as well as the New Mexico State Police Crime Scene Team were called.  

New Mexico State Police charged the following inmates:

Gabriel Sedillo

  • Attempted Murder
  • Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer
  • Conspiracy to commit Aggravated Assault on Peace Officer
  • Possession of a deadly weapon by a prisoner
  • Kidnapping
  • Conspiracy to commit kidnapping

Rico Sena

  • Attempted Murder
  • Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer
  • Conspiracy to commit Aggravated Assault on Peace Officer
  • Possession of a deadly weapon by a prisoner
  • Kidnapping
  • Conspiracy to commit kidnapping

Robert Dyment

  • Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer
  • Conspiracy to commit Aggravated Assault on Peace Officer
  • Kidnapping
  • Conspiracy to commit kidnapping

Irvin Ramirez

  • Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer
  • Conspiracy to commit Aggravated Assault on Peace Officer
  • Kidnapping
  • Conspiracy to commit kidnapping

Martin Cuevas

  • Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer
  • Conspiracy to commit Aggravated Assault on Peace Officer
  • Kidnapping
  • Conspiracy to commit kidnapping

This investigation is ongoing. The name of the corrections sergeant and officer will not be released by New Mexico State Police. No other information is available.

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