Federal Authorities Charge Las Cruces Man After Series of Retail Assaults and Thefts Spark Local Outcry

ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man with a lengthy history of retail thefts and assaults was federally charged under the Hobbs Act after the Las Cruces Police Department publicly condemned the state judicial system for failing to prosecute more than 70 offenses allegedly committed by the defendant since 2022.

According to court documents, between November 2022 and April 2025, Neal Wesley Garcia, 43, allegedly committed multiple robberies and assaults at retail stores throughout Las Cruces, New Mexico. Garcia’s offenses involved violence or threats against employees when they attempted to prevent him from leaving stores with unpaid merchandise.

Court documents allege that:

• On November 21, 2022, Garcia stole a Sony backpack from GameStop after pushing an employee who confronted him.
• On April 24, 2023, Garcia assaulted two employees at Lowes Fiesta Foods after attempting to leave with cleaning products without paying.
• On June 30, 2023, Garcia threatened a Savers employee with a stolen baseball bat and broke a window while fleeing with merchandise.
• On July 7, 2023, Garcia punched a Murphy’s Express employee and damaged the employee’s vehicle after shoplifting.
• On August 24, 2023, Garcia struck an Albertson’s worker while taking grocery items without payment.
• On April 5, 2025, Garcia punched a Walmart employee after concealing items in his waistband and attempting to leave without paying.

Each incident involved goods that were manufactured and shipped from outside New Mexico and Garcia’s criminal conduct impacted the stores’ ability to conduct business and thereby affected interstate commerce.

Garcia is charged with six counts of interference with commerce by threats or violence and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Garcia faces 20 years in prison as to each count.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This press release was posted November 14, after the end of the federal government shutdown.