By Angela Kocherga
Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — A video released by the Doña Ana County district attorney shows seven inmates attacking two guards at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility outside Las Cruces. The inmates were indicted and charged for their role in the July 16 attack that sent the two guards to the hospital with serious injuries. Surveillance cameras captured the inmates overpowering the correctional officers right after a nurse visited the prison to pass out medication around 7:30 that night.
“The officer and the sergeant returned to the pod to place the inmates in lockdown. As the sergeant spoke to the inmates, other inmates congregated around the pod door,” according to correctional officials. The surveillance cameras captured inmates knocking the correctional officers to the floor and kicking and punching them. The inmates also took a heavy flashlight and radio from the guards and used the items in the attack according to prison officials. One correctional officer appears to be unconscious on the video. The other has blood streaming down his face. The correctional officers, Alex Bencomo and Mitchell Lamb, have been released from the hospital and are recovering at home.
“My office will respond with vigor to attacks on any of our staff at any of our detention facilities,” said Doña Ana County District Attorney Mark D’Antonio during a news conference on Thursday when he released the surveillance video.
The cameras also captured the inmates surrendering quickly after a team of other correctional officers entered the pod to break up the fight.
Two of the inmates, Gabriel Sedillo and Rico Sena have been charged with attempted murder in the first degree, attempted kidnapping, inflicting bodily harm against a peace officer and assault with a deadly weapon. The other inmates Robert Dyment, Martin Cuevas and Irvin Ramirez have been charged with first-degree kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated batter. Most of the men involved in the attack have been moved to the Penitentiary of New Mexico. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Aug. 12.
©2019 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.)