Las Cruces Man, 46, Sentenced for Voluntary Manslaughter in 2023 Shooting

Felipe Hernandez, a 46-year-old resident of Las Cruces, was booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center on Oct. 30, 2025. He is being held without bond under booking number 2500008889 following a court commitment at 201 W. Picacho Ave. The booking follows his conviction in the New Mexico district court system. According to news reports from the Associated Press and the Albuquerque Journal, Hernandez was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the 2023 shooting death of Teresa Gomez. While a jury found the former Las Cruces police officer not guilty of second-degree murder, court and news records show he was convicted of the lesser charge and subsequently sentenced for the fatal encounter. Court and news records indicate Hernandez was convicted in this case.