A man currently housed at the Grant County Detention Center in Silver City, New Mexico for allegedly shooting at a police officer is now accused of beating up an inmate over tamales.
Ruben De La O, jailed in Silver City on charges of shooting at a police officer during a traffic stop in 2021, allegedly helped Jose Rocha beat up another inmate, according to KRQE. Witnesses said the attack was the result of the inmate eating one of De La O’s tamales.
“He had eaten someone else’s hot plates, which were tamales that day,” Joseph Andazola, the detention center’s warden, told KRQE. “But we came to the conclusion that we couldn’t really determine the exact cause of the incident.”
The unidentified victim suffered injuries severe enough to be flown to El Paso, Texas, for surgery. De La O of Las Cruces, New Mexico, was recorded talking about the attack during a phone call from jail to his girlfriend, KRQE reported. During the call, De La O shared what he told the victim before attacking him.
“‘They told you that was for me and then you still went ahead and did this, dog,’” De La O recalled telling the victim. “And he kept trying to justify instead of saying like, ‘Hey man, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.’ So, I just gave him a nice one, and it was all bad.”
The victim is reluctant to press charges, but the state is moving forward with charges of aggravated battery against De La O.
“Due to the severity of the injury to the victim, and also to send a message that we are not going to put up with any violence in the detention center,” Andazola said.
De La O has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly fired at Silver City police officer Stephen Laramore, who pulled his car over for a traffic stop in August 2021, according to KRQE. Laramore was uninjured, but De La O led police on a high-speed chase through Silver City firing more shots at officers as he headed for the interstate. After a half-hour chase, he surrendered.
At the time of the shooting, De La O had a warrant out of Colorado for his arrest for violating parole from a robbery conviction, KRQE reported.
