Garcia was convicted in April of second-degree murder in the 2025 shooting death of Juan Lujan

Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News

LAS CRUCES - A Las Cruces man convicted of killing a local school bus driver in a 2025 shooting was sentenced Monday to 23 years in prison.

Pancho Garcia, 35, was convicted by a jury in April of second-degree murder in the death of Juan Lujan, 29, according to the Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said Garcia was staying at a motel on Picacho Avenue on June 10, 2025, when he left his room and fired several shots into a vehicle stopped at the intersection of Picacho Avenue and 17th Street.

Lujan, who worked as a school bus driver for Las Cruces Public Schools, was struck four times.

Las Cruces police officers responded and attempted lifesaving measures, but Lujan was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witness statements and 911 calls helped investigators identify Garcia, who was later located inside his motel room, according to prosecutors.

Garcia barricaded himself inside the room, prompting the Las Cruces Police Department to deploy its SWAT team. Officers eventually breached a window and Garcia later came out of the room and was taken into custody.

“This was a senseless act of violence that took the life of a husband, father and valued member of our community,” District Attorney Fernando Macias said in a statement Monday. “This sentence ensures that justice was served and that Garcia is held accountable for his actions.”

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Anne Swank and Tomas Medina and investigated by the Las Cruces Police Department.

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.