Crime
18-year-old Josiah Perrault killed by Las Cruces police in May 8 shooting
The Las Cruces Police Department has identified the individual fatally shot by an officer on the morning of May 8, 2025, as 18-year-old Josiah Perrault.
The shooting occurred around 6:30 a.m. in the 900 block of Walnut Street, though authorities have released limited details about the circumstances leading up to the incident.
According to an official statement from the City of Las Cruces, a second male individual believed to be involved in the incident was also injured and transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Officer-Involved Incident Task Force, which includes investigators from the Las Cruces Police Department, New Mexico State Police, Doรฑa Ana County Sheriffโs Office, and New Mexico State University Police, is actively investigating the case.
The task force is responsible for gathering evidence and collecting witness statements, which will then be forwarded to the Third Judicial District Attorneyโs Office for review.
To allow time for the completion of witness interviews and accommodate Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story and other department officials attending National Police Week in Washington, D.C., a press conference originally anticipated sooner has been rescheduled. City officials announced that the briefing will now take place at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, May 20, in the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 700 N. Main Street.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subjectโs vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorneyโs Office.