Kimberly Skaggs, identified in recent court filings as RPNM treasurer, is accused of leaving the scene after a bicyclist was fatally struck near Fairacres Road.

Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News

LAS CRUCES - Kimberly Ann Skaggs, identified in recent court filings as treasurer of the Republican Party of New Mexico, has been charged in a fatal hit-and-run near Las Cruces.

Skaggs, 54, was charged in Doña Ana County Magistrate Court with leaving the scene of an accident involving great bodily harm or death and tampering with evidence, according to court records.

A criminal complaint alleges Skaggs drove a vehicle involved in a crash June 22 that killed Andrew R. Brown and failed to stop or return to the scene to provide required information or reasonable assistance.

The complaint also alleges Skaggs hid a vehicle on vacant property at 5033 Northwind Road in Las Cruces to prevent her apprehension, prosecution or conviction.

Skaggs was booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center on Wednesday afternoon after an arrest warrant was served. Jail records list the arrest location as 845 N. Motel Blvd., the address of the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office.

What deputies say happened

According to a statement of probable cause, deputies with the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office responded June 22 to a report of a fatal hit-and-run crash near 850 N. Fairacres Road.

Deputy Fabian Fernandez wrote that he arrived at the scene at about 2:46 p.m.

A witness told investigators she saw a woman walking around the crash scene as the witness drove past. The witness told investigators she later saw the woman walking to her vehicle and leaving northbound on Fairacres Road.

The witness took photos of the driver leaving the scene and provided them to investigators, according to the probable cause statement. The photos showed what deputies described as a newer black Cadillac Escalade with a New Mexico license plate possibly ending in “54.”

The witness described the driver as a woman with dark blond hair, about shoulder length, and as possibly a white person with an average build, according to the probable cause statement.

Deputies wrote that Brown was riding a bicycle and crossing the road when he was struck by a vehicle traveling north on Fairacres Road. He was severely injured and later pronounced dead by the Office of the Medical Investigator, according to the probable cause statement.

Investigators found about 208 feet of skid marks and debris from the suspect vehicle, including small black plastic pieces with grille markings and a General Motors imprint, according to the probable cause statement. The bicycle was broken into several pieces.

How investigators say they found the vehicle

Investigators received a Flock camera photo showing a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle traveling east on Picacho Avenue close to the time of the crash, according to the probable cause statement.

A lieutenant later told Fernandez he had found an earlier Las Cruces Police Department citation involving the same license plate and identifying the driver as Kimberly Ann Skaggs, according to the probable cause statement. The statement says Skaggs’ address was listed in the report, a short distance from the crash scene.

Investigators also received video from Sun City Plumbing & Heating on Picacho Avenue, according to the probable cause statement. Fernandez wrote that the video showed a black Cadillac Escalade matching the witness photos driving east, then turning north onto Burke Road at a high rate of speed.

Deputies later obtained OnStar tracking information for the vehicle, which showed it at a property on Northwind Road in Las Cruces, according to the probable cause statement. Investigators said they confirmed through the Doña Ana County Assessor’s Office that the property was owned by Skaggs.

A woman interviewed by investigators said Skaggs owned a Cadillac Escalade and was the only person who drove it, according to the probable cause statement. The woman tried to call Skaggs, but the call went straight to voicemail and she said it was unusual for Skaggs’ phone to be off.

On June 23, investigators executed a search warrant at the Northwind Road property and found the Escalade behind a residence under a red metal carport, according to the probable cause statement.

Fernandez wrote that the vehicle had damage to the lower front bumper, blood spatter under the right side step near the right front wheel well, a tread pattern consistent with a bicycle tire, fresh scrapes and scratches, missing bumper pieces and a flat right front tire. He also wrote that a green substance near the tire’s inflation valve appeared consistent with Fix-a-Flat.

A judge found probable cause June 24, according to the criminal complaint.

Skaggs’ political role

Court filings earlier this month identified Skaggs as treasurer of the Republican Party of New Mexico. A June 12 RPNM email also listed her as “treasurer & fundraising.”

But as of 11:30 a.m. Thursday, the party’s public officers page did not list a treasurer, and RPNM had not issued a public statement explaining the change, clarifying Skaggs’ current role or addressing her arrest.

Skaggs has repeatedly run for state legislative office in southern New Mexico. A New Mexico Secretary of State candidate profile shows she ran as a Republican for Senate District 36 in 2020 and House District 36 in 2022 and 2024.

Earlier speeding case dismissed

Court records show Skaggs was cited Dec. 26 for allegedly driving 88 mph in a 55 mph zone while driving a Lamborghini SUV. The citation listed the location as “Valley and Trails End.”

Skaggs pleaded not guilty Jan. 8, and the case was set for a Feb. 12 bench trial before Magistrate Judge Jannette A. Mondragon.

The case was dismissed without prejudice after the citing officer failed to appear for the bench trial, according to court records. The dismissal order said Skaggs was not responsible for the failure to complete the proceeding.

What happens next

The criminal case is pending in Doña Ana County Magistrate Court.

A first appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday before Magistrate Judge Nathan W. Graff, according to online court records. The hearing is listed as a video conference arraignment.

A Public Safety Assessment completed Wednesday recommended release on recognizance. Court records did not immediately show a final order setting conditions of release.

Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.