BOWLING ALLEY MASSACRE IN LAS CRUCES 20 YEARS LATER

Almost 20 years later, not everyone remembers the Las Cruces bowling alley massacre, which is considered the worst crime the community has ever seen. But reminding people of the incident brings chills to people. It hurts, it hurts, said survivor Melissia Repass to emergency dispatch. It hurts? OK, Melissia I've got an ambulance and police officer en route, responded dispatch. Another lucky survivor was Ida Holguin who was the bowling alleys cook, in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was supposed to work at night time, but I changed the schedule and I put myself for the daytime, said Holguin. On the morning of Feb. 10, 1990, seven people, from staff to family and friends, were inside the bowling alley when two men walked in. Holguin was in the kitchen preparing food. He said this is a hold up come with me, said Holguin. The men took Holguin and pushed her into the business office with six others. The men stole an estimated $5,000 from the safe and the assassinations then began. They told us to get to the corner and so we all did, said Holguin. Then they told us to put our heads downthen they just started shooting us. All seven victims were shot execution style and Holguin was hit with several shots. I did feel the one when they shot me in the head, I did feel that one, she said. I was dying with my own blood, I was drowning. Repass was miraculously able to call police moments after the men ran off. They told me to get down and they shot me five times, she said to dispatch. "The bullet's in my head." Tell me how many people were shot? asked dispatch. 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Seven people are hurt, she said. Twenty-six-year-old Steven Teran, 13-year-old Amy Hauser and 6-year-old Paula Holguin (no relation to Ida) died instantly. Two-year-old Valerie Teran died at the hospital. They had never seen a crime of this magnitude and the city wasn't ready for it, said Detective Mark Myers of the Las Cruces Police Department. Myers is currently in charge of the case and said very little was preserved from the original crime scene that could be used DNA-wise today. Would we have had some more tools to throw at the investigation? Some more resources to throw at the investigation? Absolutely. Does that mean we would solve it today? I don't know, said Myers. There are the only sketches of what the men may have looked like and, so far, no one or any database has been able to recognize the faces. You had two individuals that put some thought into what they were doing, said Myers. But did they ever tell their secret to someone else? Since crime scene evidence has not come through, Myers hopes that may be the key to crack the case. I think some day someone's going to gather the courage up to say, all right, it's time, I need to get what I know off my chest, he said. And after sustaining three shots including one to the head, Holguin bravely tells her survivor story. But she, like the rest of the community, wants more. I hope that one day they do find them, I think I'll be so happy, I really will be, said Holguin. The frightening story of that day has now found its way to the big screen, and beginning Wednesday, you can watch a full-length documentary film called A Nightmare In Las Cruces. Click on the links mentioned section of this Web site for show times.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• MASSACRE
• BOWLING
• CRUCES
• NUEVO
• MEXICO
• CRIME
• MURDERS
• MELISSIA
• REPASS
• POLICE
• SURVIVOR
• WALKED
• JUAREZVIOLENTO
• NOTICIAS

[ImJstMe1]

I just watched the docu-drama Nightmare In Las Cruces and I cried from beginning to end, I cant imagine the evil of people who would do this it was horrific...RIP

[armystrong19dcavalry]

@TatianaSword how can you say that?!.....you heartless discrace!!!!.....crawl in a hole and stay there looser!!!...

[imblack12341234]

@Aspenkitty2 i wonder what got into them

[Aspenkitty2]

I still have nightmares about this. I used to work as a bartender there. I quit my job about a year before it happened,

[MrDaemonKane]

Watched the film and it was not right, i actually wish i didnt watch it now because i feel weird, i have never cried over a film before, r.i.p to all the people that died that day.

[CSKRGV]

THIS WAS SUCH A TRAGEDY. I JUST SAW THE MOVIE DOCUDRAMA ITS EXCELLENT. GREAT IFLM, ITS WEIRD I NEVER HEARD ABOUT THIS TRAGEDY BUT I GUESS IN1990 I WAS TOO YOUNG TO WATCH THE NEWS. ITS SO SAD, HOW CAN THEY NOT FIND THE KILLERS?. I BET THEY WERE DRIFTERS. IF IT WAS A LOCAL THE TRUTH WOULD HAVE COME OUT BY NOW.

[xxchinookxx]

I speak in a tone simply because of my military mindset. If I would feel a threat towards me and loved ones, I would first react, ask questions later. The man made Law, religion would be at the least of my worries....

[PhantomLyric]

I mean, honestly? I find this case odd. The descriptions of the men was far too vivid and almost made up.... The witness who apparently described the men to a T said he saw all of the details he gave while passing in his car.... Including that they spoke perfect english? Really? Furthermore if he was close enough to see the man's eyes, why wouldn't they have killed him? I don't know the whole thing seems fishy and it's perhaps why you'll never find the killers because he had something do w/ it.

[PhantomLyric]

@xxchinookxx I disagree.... Money is a big part of it because no one will work for free... It's about funding. Some of the most dangerous places to live have actually had to lay off police officers because there just wasn't enough state money to pay their salary. Polices don't make very much money.... I know it seems like the justice system nickels and dimes the hell out of us but if it didn't, it wouldn't exist... That's the only way it can survive because, again, funding just isn't there.

[xxchinookxx]

The justice system in the United States is called a : PENDEJO JUSTICE because the system only cares about cash flow and crime is a business. The victims are the real losers. Therr's nothing like VIGILANTE justice!