Las Cruces police say one suspect is tied to both a May 4 church shooting and a May 11 attempted burglary.
LAS CRUCES, NM — Two men face felony charges after police said an investigation into gunfire that damaged a Catholic church led officers to an attempted gun store burglary and a suspicious device found at a suspect’s home.
Matthew Albian Alarcon, 40, is accused of firing a handgun toward St. Genevieve’s Catholic Church on May 4, damaging the building while it was empty. Police said the case later expanded after an officer stopped Alarcon and Juan Manuel Garcia, 36, near a gun store on May 11. Investigators said evidence from the two scenes linked Alarcon to the church shooting and led to more charges involving a stolen firearm, burglary tools and conspiracy.
Police said surveillance video from St. Genevieve’s Catholic Church, 100 S. Espina St., showed a man parking a dark-colored sedan in front of the church about 4:30 a.m. May 4. The man got out of the vehicle and fired a handgun toward the church, police said. The gunfire damaged two areas of the building. No one was inside the church at the time, and no injuries were reported. Las Cruces police said video of the shooting was later posted on the department’s Facebook page as investigators worked to identify the person involved.
The investigation shifted one week later, shortly after midnight May 11, when a Las Cruces police officer saw two men loitering near a car in front of Miller Guns and Ammo on north Telshor Boulevard. Police said the officer contacted the men and determined they were planning to break into the business. Alarcon was identified as the driver, and Garcia was identified as his passenger. A search of the car turned up tools and other items that investigators believe the men planned to use in the attempted burglary. Police also found a handgun in the car. Alarcon claimed the gun was his, but police said investigators learned it had been reported stolen.
Investigators later compared video from the May 4 church shooting with the vehicle Alarcon was driving during the May 11 gun store case. Police said the vehicle from the church video matched Alarcon’s car. That finding became a key link between the two investigations. Police have not said what motive, if any, they believe was behind the church shooting, and they have not reported evidence that anyone else was inside or near the church when the shots were fired. The damage was limited to the building, according to police, but the case drew added attention because the target was a place of worship and because investigators later connected the suspect to an attempted burglary at a firearms business.
On May 19, investigators served a search warrant at Alarcon’s home and found what police described as a suspicious object. Police said the object contained components commonly used in an incendiary device. The Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad responded and safely collected the object for more investigation. Police have not said whether the device was complete, whether it was tied to either the church shooting or the attempted gun store burglary, or whether more people are being investigated. Las Cruces police said they are working with federal partners on possible additional charges.
Alarcon was arrested May 14. He is charged with felony counts of desecration of a church, receiving a stolen firearm, tampering with evidence, possession of burglary tools, attempted non-residential burglary and two counts of conspiracy. Garcia was arrested May 17 and is charged with felony counts of attempted non-residential burglary and two counts of conspiracy. Police said Alarcon was scheduled for a pretrial detention hearing May 20 and would initially be held without bond. Court records or later police updates would determine whether bond conditions, hearing dates or additional counts change as the case moves forward.
The case spans three Las Cruces locations: the church on South Espina Street, the gun store on north Telshor Boulevard and Alarcon’s home, where police said the suspicious object was found. St. Genevieve’s is in a central part of the city, while the gun store is along a commercial corridor. Police have described the church as unoccupied during the shooting and have not reported injuries connected to the attempted burglary. The investigation remains active as detectives review video, vehicle evidence, the recovered firearm, tools found in the car and the object collected by the bomb squad.
Police said Alarcon and Garcia remain accused, not convicted, as the felony cases proceed. The next steps include court hearings, review of evidence by prosecutors and any decision by federal authorities on whether to pursue additional charges.
Author note: Last updated May 22, 2026.