David Rodriguez-Baeza : “Hobbs Double Homicide: One Arrest Made”

HOBBS, New Mexico (KMID/KPEJ) – A Hobbs man has been taken into custody following an extensive investigation into the deaths of two men in the area.

According to the Hobbs Police Department (HPD), the incident took place on Wednesday, May 15, around 11:16 pm in the 600 block of North McKinley.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers discovered two male victims, identified as 54-year-old David Castillo and 52-year-old Felipe Castillo, both of whom had sustained gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of Emergency Services, both individuals tragically succumbed to their injuries.

After an intensive eight-day investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for 34-year-old David Rodriguez-Baeza, who is commonly known as “Paps” and is a resident of Hobbs.

On Thursday, May 23, law enforcement officers and detectives successfully located and apprehended Rodriguez-Baeza without any resistance. He has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

Following the arrest, HPD Chief August Fons commended the collaborative effort of HPD Patrol Officers, Criminal Investigation Division Detectives, and civilian support staff. Fons stated, “This arrest was preceded by many exhaustive investigative hours and outstanding collaborative work between HPD Patrol Officers, Criminal Investigation Division Detectives and civilian support staff. We are extremely fortunate to have this high level of committed and dedicated commissioned and non-commissioned personnel. The criminal history of Mr. Baeza speaks for itself and a continuing issue with a failure to effectively address criminal accountability.”

HPD disclosed that Rodriguez-Baeza has an extensive criminal record, which includes multiple offences such as probation violations, parole violations, failure to pay fines, failure to appear in court, traffic offences, drug-related charges, theft, assault on law enforcement officers, and various other criminal activities.