By Jacqueline Devine
Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Five inmates have been charged following an attack on two Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility guards Tuesday evening.
New Mexico State Police, which is investigating, stated the two correctional officers were transported to an area hospital with severe non-life-threatening injuries after the attack.
Ricardo Montoya, constituent services liaison with the New Mexico Corrections Department, said Thursday that one officer has been released from the hospital and the other remains hospitalized.
The officers’ names were not released.
The five inmates identified in the attack are Gabriel Sedillo, 47, Rico Sena, 32, Robert Dyment, 35, Martin Cuevas, 35, and Irvin Ramirez, 26.
Sedillo and Sena are facing the most serious charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault on a peace officer, possession of a deadly weapon, kidnapping and conspiracy. Dyment, Cuevas and Ramirez have each been charged with aggravated assault, kidnapping and conspiracy.
The attack
NMSP investigators reported that a prison nurse, escorted by a sergeant and officer, entered a pod at the prison to deliver medicine to inmates about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
During this time, an inmate got into a verbal argument with a control center officer, state police reported. The inmate was not identified in a news release.
The nurse left the pod and the officer and sergeant returned to the pod to place the inmates in lock down, state police reported.
“As the sergeant spoke to the inmates, other inmates congregated around the pod door,” the release stated.
About 9 p.m., the five inmates attacked the guards, according to police.
A control officer responded by using less lethal shotgun and pepper ball grenades to stop the attack. A facility team responded and secured the pod, police report.
The prison, which is west of Las Cruces, remains on lock down Thursday, officials said.
©2019 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.)