CLOVIS, N.M. (KRQE) — A man wanted in connection to an assault at a massage parlor in eastern New Mexico on Tuesday has been arrested, according to the Clovis Police Department.
Police say Christopher Gipson, 42, was wanted on charges of kidnapping, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, assault with intent to commit a violent felony, and tampering with evidence.
New Mexico State Police arrested Gipson after a short chase when he was spotted behind a grocery store in Clovis. NMSP said he was in the process of changing his clothes.
Gipson’s charges stem back to about 8:44 p.m. on Tuesday when dispatch in Clovis received a 911 call. They heard what seemed to be groaning and crying on the other end. Police then responded to a massage parlor at 3018 N Prince St. where they found a 60-year-old woman bleeding from both her head and body.
Emergency medical services were dispatched to the scene. The woman was stabilized from her life-threatening injuries and taken to Plains Regional Medical Center. She has since been transferred to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas.
The Clovis Police Department’s special operations unit began investigating, leading to Gipson being identified as the suspect. Police believe Gipson was in Clovis for a work detail involving a construction group. They do not believe he is associated with the city in any other way.
Gipson has also been identified as a suspect in a second robbery of a massage therapy center on March 14, 2024. Clovis police said the reports are similar and the case is being investigated. He has not been charged in that case.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Clovis police non-emergency line at 575-769-1921. Anonymous tips can be submitted online, or through Curry County Crime Stoppers at 575-763-7000.
