LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) – Zachary Babitz, the man wanted for the murder of 83-year-old Gordon Peter Wilson outside a Best Buy in Santa Fe earlier this month, was apprehended in Las Cruces following a dramatic police chase.
Story continues below
Remembering: ‘The Ultimate Leader,’ a tribute to Bill Anderson
Community: How can you get to the New Mexico State Fair?
Food: Restaurant health inspections on temporary pause in Albuquerque
Podcast: Local Impacts of SCOTUS Decision On Homeless Encampments
Babitz was arrested after allegedly robbing an Arby’s in Las Cruces on August 10. According to police, Babitz, along with an unidentified woman, forced a woman out of her vehicle at gunpoint on East Lohman Avenue. The vehicle was later found crashed near Missouri Avenue and Triviz Drive.
Police received a tip that the suspects were hiding near nearby drainage ditches. Officers quickly searched the area, where they encountered Babitz. Body camera footage shows Babitz attempting to evade arrest by pretending to be asleep in a nearby trash can. When confronted by officers, Babitz claimed he had been sleeping and was homeless and was unaware of the situation. He then tried to shift the blame onto a fictitious man, describing a tattooed man who he claimed had discarded a BB gun near the scene.
Las Cruces Police continued their search for this supposed second suspect but later confirmed that Babitz was the only one in the area. Further investigation revealed that a local business owner had captured footage of Babitz attempting to break into their establishment, providing crucial evidence for his arrest.
Authorities soon discovered that Babitz was wanted in connection with the murder of Wilson, who was shot and killed outside the Best Buy on August 6, and his car stolen from the store. Babitz, who had been released from prison just five months earlier, is now facing federal carjacking and firearm charges in addition to the state murder charge.
