Two separate Gomez family lawsuits in Las Cruces have put the city on the hook for its largest-ever civil payout and opened a second major wrongful death claim still working its way through court. The estate of Teresa Gomez, shot and killed by a Las Cruces police officer in October 2023, settled with the city for $20 million in November 2024. The estate of Jason Gomez, a 17-year-old killed in the March 2025 mass shooting at Young Park, filed its own wrongful death suit against the city in February 2026. The two families are not related, and the cases arise from different events, but together they have defined the recent legal landscape around public safety in Las Cruces.
Teresa Gomez and the $20 Million Settlement
Teresa Gomez, 45, was shot by Las Cruces police officer Felipe Hernandez in the early hours of October 3, 2023, outside a public housing complex on Burley Court. Hernandez, on bicycle patrol, approached a vehicle where Gomez was sitting with a male passenger and accused the pair of trespassing. After Gomez got into the driver’s seat with his permission and started to pull away, Hernandez fired. An officer who arrived to help identified a bullet wound on the back left side of her body.1KFOX TV. Prosecution Alleges Unjustified Lethal Force in Ex-Las Cruces Officers Trial She died from her injuries.
Her estate filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in October 2023 against the City of Las Cruces, the police chief, and three officers. The complaint alleged that Gomez posed no threat and that the city maintained a “de facto policy of indifference” to the escalation of police encounters, and that city employees disproportionately used excessive force against people of color.2CNN. Teresa Gomez Shooting, New Mexico The family was represented by attorney Shannon Kennedy of the Kennedy Law Firm.33D Forensic. Kennedy Law Firm and 3D Forensic Earn Monumental $20 Million Settlement for Estate of Teresa
In November 2024, the city agreed to pay $20 million to resolve the suit, the largest civil settlement in Las Cruces history. The city stated the settlement was not an admission of criminal guilt.4City of Las Cruces. City Reaches Settlement With Gomez Family
How the City Is Paying
An initial $2 million came from the city’s legal department liability fund.5Las Cruces Sun-News. Las Cruces City Council Approves Financing for $20 Million Teresa Gomez Settlement On January 6, 2025, the City Council unanimously passed Ordinance 3089, authorizing up to $21 million in taxable municipal gross receipts tax revenue bonds: $20 million for the settlement and up to $1 million for issuance costs. The bonds carry a term of up to 20 years with semi-annual payments. Mayor Eric Enriquez said the financing was structured so the payment would not affect city services or raise taxes.6KRWG. Las Cruces City Council Passes Ordinance to Pay Settlement to Family of Woman Killed by Police Officer
What Happened to the Officer
Hernandez was charged with second-degree murder in January 2024 and relieved of his duties in May 2024.4City of Las Cruces. City Reaches Settlement With Gomez Family At a four-day trial, prosecutors told jurors Hernandez “shot a fleeing woman in the back” and called the shooting “a betrayal of the badge.”7KRQE. Former Las Cruces Police Officer Sentenced for Fatally Shooting Woman On January 28, 2026, a jury acquitted him of second-degree murder but convicted him of voluntary manslaughter, a third-degree felony, with a firearm enhancement.8Organ Mountain News. Felipe Hernandez Files Appeal, Seeks Release Pending Review of Manslaughter Conviction
On February 6, 2026, Third Judicial District Judge Richard M. Jacquez sentenced Hernandez to six years in prison plus a five-year firearm enhancement. With two years suspended and three months of presentence credit, his effective term is eight years and nine months in state custody, followed by parole and supervised probation. The judge designated the crime a “serious violent offense.”8Organ Mountain News. Felipe Hernandez Files Appeal, Seeks Release Pending Review of Manslaughter Conviction
Hernandez has filed a notice of appeal with the New Mexico Court of Appeals, arguing the trial court erred in allowing certain statements during the prosecution’s rebuttal closing. Judge Jacquez denied his motion for a new trial on the day of sentencing and also denied his request for release pending appeal, citing a history of “violent outbursts and deadly use of force,” PTSD, and “violent dreams” in which he reportedly attacked the prosecutor and the court.9KFOX TV. Judge Denies Release Pending Appeal for Ex-Las Cruces Officer Felipe Hernandez He remains in custody.
Jason Gomez and the Young Park Lawsuit
On the evening of March 21, 2025, an unsanctioned car meetup at Young Park in Las Cruces drew roughly 200 people. A dispute between two groups turned into gunfire in the parking lot, killing three teenagers and wounding 15 others. Among the dead was 17-year-old Jason Gomez. Investigators recovered 59 shell casings from three different calibers and four firearms at the scene.10KOAT. Las Cruces Mass Shooting Details According to the district attorney, the shooters had planned to kill one of the other victims; Jason Gomez was not involved in the dispute. Police Chief Jeremy Story acknowledged no units were available for most of the night due to staffing shortages.11Albuquerque Journal. Young Park Victims Family Sues City and Accused Shooters
On February 19, 2026, Jason Gomez’s estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the Third Judicial District Court naming the City of Las Cruces, the Las Cruces Police Department, the Parks and Recreation department, and all four accused shooters as defendants.11Albuquerque Journal. Young Park Victims Family Sues City and Accused Shooters The suit alleges the city failed to secure the park despite knowing that recurring unsanctioned meetups there posed a risk, pointing to broken gates, inadequate lighting, and the absence of a police presence. It also alleges the four individual defendants negligently and recklessly discharged firearms in a crowded public park. The estate is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, funeral expenses, and legal costs under New Mexico’s Wrongful Death Act and Tort Claims Act.12KFOX TV. Young Park Shooting Victims Family Sues Las Cruces Alleging It Failed to Secure Park The city has declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Where the Criminal Cases Stand
The four defendants named as individual shooters in the civil suit were each charged with three counts of first-degree murder and ordered tried separately.13Las Cruces Sun-News. Grand Jury Indicts Four Suspects in Young Park Shooting Three have been convicted:
- Tomas Rivas, 20, convicted in February 2026 of three counts of first-degree murder under a “depraved mind” theory, facing a mandatory life sentence on each count.14KRWG. Jury Convicts Las Cruces Man of First-Degree Murder in Young Park Mass Shooting
- Nathan Rivas, 17 at the time of the shooting and tried as an adult, convicted on February 25, 2026, of three counts of first-degree murder.15KFOX TV. Las Cruces Young Park Shooting Jury Convicts Nathan Rivas of 3 First-Degree Murders
- Josiah Ontiveros, convicted on April 8, 2026, of three counts of first-degree murder.16KTSM. Jury Deliberates in Deadly Young Park Shooting Trial for Teen
The fourth defendant, Gustavo Dominguez, is scheduled for trial in July 2026.17Las Cruces Sun-News. Las Cruces Jury Convicts Teen for Murder for Role in Young Park Shooting
What the Two Cases Mean for Las Cruces
The two Gomez cases are legally and factually distinct. Teresa Gomez’s suit was a federal civil rights action over a police shooting that has now produced both a historic settlement and a felony conviction of the officer involved. Jason Gomez’s suit is a state wrongful death action alleging the city failed in its duty to secure a public park, and it is still at an early stage. With the settlement bonds set to be paid down over as long as 20 years and a second major liability claim now active, Las Cruces faces ongoing financial exposure, and the Young Park litigation will continue to develop alongside the remaining criminal trial.