A federal jury convicted a Las Cruces man on nine counts for four armed robberies across Doña Ana County.
Ruben Jose Trujillo, 39, was found guilty after a weeklong trial. In one holdup at a Vado Family Dollar store, he fired a bullet through a wall that narrowly missed a store employee's head, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico.
Trujillo faces a mandatory minimum of 31 years and up to life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and FBI Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office announced the conviction on Thursday, Oct. 29.
A month-long robbery spree
Prosecutors presented evidence that Trujillo carried out the robberies over less than a month in October 2024. He robbed two Circle K convenience stores in Las Cruces on Oct. 5 and Oct. 21, 2024, pointing a firearm at employees and demanding cash, according to court documents and trial evidence.
On Oct. 27, 2024, Trujillo robbed a Subway restaurant in Las Cruces, again threatening an employee with a firearm and demanding money.
The most violent incident came Oct. 28, 2024, at a Family Dollar store in Vado. Trujillo broke through the glass front door and pointed a handgun at two employees. The employees fled into a room and locked the door. Trujillo fired through the wall.
The bullet narrowly missed one employee's head. According to prosecutors, the employee was left with a burn mark near her eyebrow that lasted about two weeks. Investigators said the injury was caused by drywall fragments or possibly the bullet grazing her head at high speed. Trujillo stole cash and a cash register drawer before fleeing.
Tattoos, a limp and forensic evidence
Investigators identified Trujillo through surveillance footage that captured distinctive tattoos, clothing and a noticeable limp. Law enforcement arrested him at a Las Cruces residence on Oct. 29, 2024.
Searches of the residence and his vehicle turned up a firearm, ammunition, a stolen cash register drawer and clothing matching items worn during the robberies. Forensic testing linked Trujillo to the firearm and confirmed it had fired the bullet recovered from the Family Dollar robbery.
Trujillo had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including unlawful possession of a firearm, and was prohibited from possessing guns.
Federal agents returned to the residence on Dec. 4, 2024, to arrest Trujillo on a federal warrant. He fled on foot but was caught after a brief pursuit. He has remained in federal custody since then.
Nine federal counts
The jury convicted Trujillo of four counts of interference with commerce by robbery, four corresponding firearm offenses and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The firearm convictions included brandishing a gun during the robberies and discharging a firearm during the Vado robbery.
The court ordered Trujillo to remain in custody pending sentencing.
The FBI's Las Cruces Resident Agency investigated the case with assistance from the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office and Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Grant Gardner and Richard Williams prosecuted the case.
