An analysis by the Coalition of Conservatives in Action (CCIA) has reported that hundreds of the crimes committed in Las Cruces can be tied back to repeat offenders who are released back onto the streets after being deemed “incompetent” and unable to stand trial.
The CCIA is lobbying for improved state legislation to handle cases of individuals with mental health problems, drug addiction, or both, who are deemed unfit to stand trial and released after their arrest. Current state law does not allow these individuals to be held in prison or sent to treatment.
“This cannot continue,” Sarah Smith, Vice Chair of the Coalition of Conservatives in Action said. “My children have witnessed vagrants smoking meth outside the window of their classroom in downtown Las Cruces, people on drugs behaving erratically on City buses, and vagrants dealing drugs in broad daylight. Our state legislature must enact laws to equip our criminal justice system to help these repeat offenders get into treatment and off the streets.”
CCIA released information on the top 16 offenders in the area, including Eduardo Versailles, who was charged over 120 times for crimes including aggravated assault, trespassing, battery, property theft, and distribution of drugs. Another individual, Juan Miranda, has over 95 charges at the time of publication, including assault, trespassing, property damage, and carrying a deadly weapon. Heather Croom has been arrested over 77 times on charges of trespassing, resisting arrest, failure to comply, failure to appear, and concealing her identity.
Las Cruces based Coalition of Conservatives in Action is an advocacy organization working in all levels of government. Their main focuses are election integrity, faith outreach, education, and crime and public policy, according to their website.