GRANTS, N.M. –
The mystery of a Las Vegas, New Mexico, murder has reached its way to Cibola County. Court documents allege that a man involved in the northern murder was incarcerated at Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, N.M. in 2019. It was in 2019 that the man, identified in the indictment as Robert Padilla, allegedly threatened a witness in the murder case with violence if they spoke to law enforcement about the case.
According to court documents, a man named Leroy “Smurf” Lucero was shot dead outside of his Las Vegas, N.M., house in late July 2019. Nearly three years later the Federal Bureau of Investigation has indicted Robert “Fat Head” Padilla and Gary L. Cola of the murder.
Authorities believe Lucero was killed because he was a former Syndatico Nuevo Mexico – prison gang – member. In September of 2019 the Drug Enforcement Agency conducted a number of raids across New Mexico in connection to the killing of Lucero. During these raids, Padilla was arrested and accused of running the drug trade in Las Vegas, N.M.
While under arrest, Padilla was sent to the Cibola County Correctional Center in the Village of Milan, N.M. According to the indictment, Padilla threatened another inmate at the facility, saying that if the unnamed person spoke with the police they would suffer, “physical force and the threat of physical force” according to the indictment.
Padilla was later released and no dates have been set for this trial, but Assistant US Attorney Maria Armijo declared in court record that while Padilla is charged with “capital eligible” crimes, the prosecution will not pursue the death penalty in this case.
Padilla was indicted along with 11 other people in this case. An indictment is just an allegation of a crime. All people are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.