Jail Escapees Captured After 3 Days on the Run

Las Cruces, NM - On July 1, 2011, a team of law enforcement officers made up of United States Marshals, New Mexico State Police, and Dona Ana County Sheriffs, arrested two escaped prisoners in the 900 block of Ella Mae in Vado, NM. On June 29, 2011, Jesus Loera and Joshua Hernandez escaped from the custody of the John Paul Taylor Center in Las Cruces, NM.

Loera and Hernandez assaulted a female guard during the escape. The two physically assaulted the female guard, one used a phone cord to choke the female while the other tied and bound her legs and hands. The female was then thrown into the bathroom in the pod. The juveniles stole the keys to the facility and the guard's cell phone and proceeded to escape from the facility. The two are both known West Side Los Pelones gang members and face new charges of Attempted Homicide in the Commission of a Felony and Aggravated Battery Causing Great Bodily Harm.

Conrad Candelaria United States Marshal said, "Dangerous individuals come in many forms to include juveniles as well as adults and it is all of our responsibilities to aide in removing them from the streets of our communities. This is another example of when agencies work together we can capture these criminals quickly and make our communities safer." Loera and Hernandez were taken into custody without incident and are awaiting their court appearance.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at usmarshals.gov.