The man who was taken into custody for the shooting and killing of a school bus driver for Las Cruces Public Schools was sentenced to 23 years, according to the Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
As previously reported by KTSM 9 News, 35-year-old Pancho Garcia was arrested and charged with open murder for shooting 29-year-old Juan Javier Lujan Garces and barricading himself in a Las Cruces motel room.
A jury convicted Garcia of second-degree murder in April.
Garcia was staying at a motel on Picacho Avenue when he left his room and opened fire on a car stopped at a traffic light at Picacho Avenue and 17th Street, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Lujan was reportedly hit four times and pronounced dead on the scene.
The District Attorney’s Office said witness testimony and 911 calls assisted investigators in identifying Garcia, who was discovered barricaded inside his motel room.
The Las Cruces Police Department summoned its SWAT team, and police eventually broke through a window and arrested Garcia, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
“This was a senseless act of violence that took the life of a husband, father, and valued member of our community,” stated District Attorney Fernando Macias. “This sentence ensures that justice was served and that Garcia is held accountable for his actions.”
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