A Hobbs man was arrested Sunday afternoon in connection to a shooting earlier that morning.
Officers with the Hobbs Police Department responded to a shooting in the 500 block of East Aspen Street at about 4 a.m. Sunday, where they found a male victim with a gunshot wound to the head. The victim was treated at Lea Regional Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries and released. Police questioned him at the hospital.
“(Victim) had bandages around his head. (Victim) appeared too pale in color, but was talking,” states the criminal complaint.
A few hours later, a traffic stop of the victim and the alleged shooter led to an arrest.
Jorge Gastelum, 21, was arrested at noon and charged with robbery, a fourth-degree felony; aggravated assault, a fourth-degree felony; attempt to commit a second-degree felony, a third-degree felony; aggravated battery, a third-degree felony; and possession of a firearm by a felon, a fourth-degree felony.
The victim told police Gastelum had shot him in the back of the head after he let him borrow $20.
“(He) advised that Jorge had come over to his house (500 block East Aspen) and was going to borrow some money from him. (Victim) stated he got inside the vehicle Jorge was driving and described the vehicle as a blue truck,” states the criminal complaint. “(Victim) stated they were talking and a male who was in the back seat pulled a gun on him and demanded money.”
According to reports, when the victim tried to get out of the vehicle, Gastelum tried to pull him back in, but he was able to get out and run to the front yard asking for help. It was then when Gastelum and the other person came at him.
“(Victim) stated he could see the unknown male in front of him and then felt a gun on the back of his head,” states the criminal complaint. “(Victim) advised he flinched and when he flinched he heard the gun go off and felt a sharp pain on the back of his head.”
When the victim fell to the ground, police said Gastelum took the victim’s phone out of his pocket and a chain off his neck. The victim’s girlfriend was outside trying to help him and Gastelum turned the gun on her and told her to get back, according to police reports.
“(She) advised that Jorge was going to come by and (victim) was going to give Jorge twenty dollars,” states the criminal complaint. “(She) advised a truck had pulled in to the driveway and (victim) got up. (She) advised that (victim) had given her the rest of the money because he felt something was up with Jorge.”
The witness told police she saw Gastelum shoot the victim in the back of the head and take his necklace and phone. The witness then called for help.
Several hours later, deputies with the Lea County Sheriff’s Office pulled over the victim and Gastelum at the Woodleaf Apartments. The victim told police Gastelum had been sending him messages on SnapChat to apologize for shooting him so he had driven over there to get his phone and hear what Gastelum had to say. When police arrested Gastelum, they found a gun underneath the car, which belonged to the victim’s grandmother.
Gastelum told police he never shot the victim, but had been over at his house earlier to smoke. He told police someone else must have followed him over to the victim’s house and attempted to rob him.
According to court records, Gastelum has a 2018 charge of distribution/possess with intent to distribute marijuana/synthetic cannabinoids, a fourth-degree felony. He also has a 2016 conviction of possession of a controlled substance, a fourth-degree felony, possession of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids and use or possession of drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors.
