A Hobbs man wanted on a murder charge was arrested Monday while reportedly hiding in a storage shed.
Edward “Lucky” Soto, 35, is charged with an open count of murder in connection to the Oct. 4 killing of 26-year-old Eric Noel Carrasco, who was found sitting in the driver’s seat of a car that crashed alongside a building at Motel 6.
Police obtained a warrant for Soto’s arrest Wednesday after a witness reportedly identified Soto as Carrasco’s shooter.
The Hobbs Police Department said at about 2:30 p.m. Monday officers received a tip from Crime Stoppers about Soto’s whereabouts. Police said Soto was found hiding in a storage building in the 2600 block of North Selman Street. Police said he surrendered without incident.
“Soto was transported to Hobbs City Jail and is awaiting arraignment,” police said in a statement Monday.
Hobbs police officers were dispatched to the motel at 200 N. Marland Blvd. at 4:10 a.m. Oct. 4 in reference to a shots-fired call and a vehicle striking the building. Police found Carrasco in the sedan suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, including a large entry wound just under his left arm. Lifesaving measures were performed, but Carrasco died at the scene.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators spoke with a motel witness who said several people were going in and out of three motel rooms near where Carrasco’s car crashed. The manager of the motel told police no one rented the three rooms, and that no one should have been in them.
Police said they checked the area around the rooms, one of which had an open bathroom window, allowing a clear view into the main area of the motel room. Police said a gun was seen in plain view on one of the beds. All three rooms were s e c u re d as police obtained a search warrant.
Police said a sawed-off rifle, a gun case containing a sword and a shotgun, a bag containing bullets and firearms, a gun bag with a broken handgun, a switchblade knife, boxes of live bullets and multiple gun magazines, firearm accessories, documents, and a wallet with a New Mexico ID belonging to Soto were found in one of the rooms.
According to the criminal complaint, Carrasco’s car had bullet holes to the driver’s side, back window, and rear portion of the vehicle. Police said a firearm was found on Carrasco’s lap, and a bullet shell was found along the path the car traveled before crashing into the motel.
Police said the car was owned by a 31-year-old Hobbs woman, whom police interviewed. Police said the investigation determined the woman was in the car with Carrasco at the time of the shooting, and that she suffered a superficial wound to the center of her back.
Another witness reportedly told police he saw the shooter holding an AK47 pistol in his right hand as he approached the driver’s side of Carrasco’s car.
“He then heard the male state ‘You think this is a game’ and started shooting into the driver side of the vehicle,” states the criminal complaint.
The witness was shown a photographic array of Soto and five other men with characteristics similar to Soto. The witness reportedly identified Soto as the shooter.
