Man accused of second knife-point robbery attempt on North Main in six months
Las Cruces police say Aaron Padilla tried to rob a North Main Street Valero with a knife Sunday while already facing another attempted armed robbery case from February.
Aaron Padilla was already facing an attempted armed robbery case when police say he pulled a knife at a Valero on Sunday; prosecutors had moved toward involuntary civil commitment two days earlier
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
LAS CRUCES - A Las Cruces man accused of trying to rob a North Main Street convenience store at knifepoint Sunday was already facing prosecution for a strikingly similar attempted armed robbery about six months earlier.
Aaron Padilla, 52, was arrested Sunday morning after Las Cruces police say he displayed a folding knife at the Valero gas station at 3101 N. Main St. and demanded money from the register.
Court records reviewed by Organ Mountain News show Padilla was indicted in March in a separate attempted armed robbery case stemming from a Feb. 11 incident at the Shell convenience store at 3040 N. Main St.
Both alleged robberies followed a similar pattern: prosecutors say Padilla entered a North Main Street convenience store, displayed a pocketknife and demanded money before leaving without cash. In both cases, police located him near the CVS across the street.
The newest case is charged as an attempted second-offense armed robbery. Court records from Padilla’s earlier case list a 2006 conviction for attempted armed robbery among his criminal history.
Manager walked out and called 911
According to a statement of probable cause filed Monday, police were dispatched Sunday morning to the Valero after its manager reported a robbery.
The manager told investigators a man wearing a black shirt and jeans entered the store, displayed a knife and demanded money from the register.
She said Padilla approached the counter, reached into his pocket and first pulled out a Butterfinger candy bar before displaying a folding pocketknife with the blade open.
When Padilla demanded money, the manager asked whether he was serious, according to court records. Police say he confirmed that he was.
Rather than hand over money, the manager called 911 and walked out of the store. Padilla left without taking anything, according to the probable cause statement.
Officers found Padilla in the CVS parking lot across North Main Street. Police said he told officers he had a knife in his right front pocket, where they found a folding pocketknife with a roughly 1½-inch blade.
Surveillance video from the Valero showed Padilla at the counter shortly before 6:50 a.m., according to the court filing.
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Support Organ Mountain NewsFebruary case followed similar pattern
Padilla was already awaiting resolution of another attempted armed robbery charge stemming from a Feb. 11 incident less than a block away.
In that case, police say Padilla entered the Shell convenience store at 3040 N. Main St. shortly after it opened for the day.
The clerk told investigators Padilla walked behind the counter, pulled out a pocketknife with a gray blade and said, “Give me the damn money.”
According to court records, the clerk grabbed a nearby broom handle, threatened to hit Padilla and ordered him out of the store. Padilla left without taking money and walked toward the intersection before continuing north on Elks Drive.
Police later detained him in the CVS parking lot.
Investigators said Padilla admitted entering the Shell, pulling out his pocketknife and demanding money from the register. According to the probable cause statement, he told police he wanted the money to buy a PlayStation 2.
A Doña Ana County grand jury indicted Padilla March 24 on one count of attempted armed robbery.
Damien Willis
Competency evaluation ordered in earlier case
The February prosecution later entered competency proceedings.
On May 7, Third Judicial District Court Judge Conrad F. Perea granted a defense request for a competency evaluation after finding there was a reasonable belief Padilla might not be competent to stand trial.
Perea ordered Castillo Psychological LLC in Las Cruces to evaluate Padilla and submit a written report.
Court records reviewed by Organ Mountain News do not establish the ultimate outcome of that evaluation.
On Friday, Aug. 14 — two days before Sunday’s alleged Valero robbery attempt — prosecutors filed notice in a related competency case that they intended to seek Padilla’s involuntary civil commitment.
The state asked the court to detain Padilla for up to seven days to facilitate those proceedings. The filing does not show whether a judge acted on that request before Sunday’s arrest.
New case charged as second offense
Padilla’s Sunday booking paperwork identifies the new allegation as an attempted armed robbery, second offense.
Records filed in the February case list a 2006 attempted armed robbery conviction among Padilla’s prior criminal history, along with two probation violations in that case.
A magistrate found probable cause in the newest case and initially ordered Padilla held without bond pending entry of a release order after he appeared before a judge.
Padilla has not been convicted in either of the 2026 cases and is presumed innocent under the law.
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