A Nightmare in Las Cruces

Emergency.

Please help me.

Well, slow down. Slow down.

We were all shot in a holdup.

Okay, where are you at?

1201 East Amador, Las Cruces Bowl.

- Las Cruces Bowl? - Yes.

Okay, and there were shots fired?

Yes, all of us were hurt.

All of us were hurt.

I think I'm the only one conscious.

You were hurt?

Okay, we'll get an ambulance rolling.

- Please. - Okay, what's your name?

Melissia Repass. Please hurry.

Okay, Melissia, we've got them dispatched.

Did you see who did it?

No, sir. They told us all to get down.

They shot me five times.

Okay, we'll get them rolling, Melissia.

Just hang on. Take a deep breath.

We've got patrol units in route.

How many people are hurt?

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

Seven people are hurt?

- Yes, I think. I don't-- - Seven subjects hurt.

- Okay, okay, Melissia. - Please, hurry. It hurts.

It hurts? Okay.

Melissia, I've got an ambulance,

and I've got the police officers in route.

They'll be with you just shortly.

- Okay. - Okay?

You didn't see what any of the men were wearing?

No, they just took all of our money.

You didn't see what any kind of the men were wearing or anything?

No.

Nothing, they just walked in?

Do you if they were black men, white men--

It was black men. They were both black.

- Two black men? - Yeah.

Okay.

No, they've left.

Thank you.

Two black male.

Please hurry.

Okay, okay. It's okay, Melissia.

There's a fire, too.

- There's a fire? - Right on the desk.

They're going to burn us up.

Are the men still there?

I don't know.

- You don't know? - I don't know.

They put us in the office.

They put you in the office?

Yes, I need a fire engine, too.

Please help me.

Thank you. Okay, Melissia.

She said they locked them in the office.

She doesn't know if they're still there or not.

The door's open. There's a fire.

They tore down the door, yeah.

Please help.

Can you smell smoke, Melissia?

Yes, I can see it.

- Okay. - Can I get the fire extinguisher?

- The fire department, too? - Yes.

She said she smells smoke.

They may have lit the building on fire.

No, it is on fire.

- It is on fire. - It is.

Okay, Melissia.

- Can I go get the-- - Standby, Utility One.

Okay, Melissia, we've got them coming, honey.

We've got them coming.

Please hurry. My mommy--

Okay, Melissia, there's a police officer there now, okay?

- There is? - Yes, there is.

He's going to try and find you.

We're in the office. Just tell him to go--

Standby on 33 traffic.

Oh, my God.

Okay.

They're dying...

Hold on, Melissia. We've got the ambulance coming.

They're just down the street.

She stood by, says all seven are shot.

They're injured. They're in the office.

Where's the office at, Melissia?

You go in the doors with the big desk,

and then you take a right, and we're right in there.

Okay. She says you go in.

At the first desk, take a right, and you're right there in the office.

Okay, I'm giving the directions on how to get to you,

to the police officers that are there.

Oh, my God, please help me.

We're helping you, Melissia. We've got them rolling.

Okay? You've got to be brave, gotta be strong now.

- Okay? - Oh, God.

It's going to burn us right now.

- Okay, can you see flames? - Well, yeah.

- Okay. - It's burning--

Okay.

Oh, I got bullets in my finger.

- Okay. - The bullet's in my head.

The bullet's in your head, too?

Fire Department here!

Come on! Come on! Come on!

I can't! None of them are conscious!

I'm still here.

Go ahead. I hear the officers telling you to get out.

- Get out. - I can't. There's nobody to help.

Was that the police officer telling you to get out?

- Then get out. - Okay.

Okay?

What I remember is I was going to school.

I had Saturday class.

I had left my backpack at work the night before.

As I pulled into the parking lot,

I saw two individuals walking through the east parking lot.

Walked in, got my backpack out of the office.

I saw my sister, my niece,

my sister's boyfriend's daughter,

and our cook Ida.

Yeah.

Yeah, I told my sister-- When I walked in,

I told her, "You need to keep the doors locked."

- Melissia. - Okay-- wait a minute. Okay.

Stephanie, lock the doors, please.

I've got it.

This is after seeing the guys in the parking lot.

I told her-- I said, "You need to keep them locked."

I told her that when I left, too.

I don't know if I had my keys with me that morning or not.

I knew she was going to be there

because she gets there so early, to do the money,

so I can't remember if I had my keys with me or not,

but I'm thinking that I didn't

because I told her to lock the door when I leave.

- Yeah. - That's because they're easy.

If I would have stayed there, would they not have come in at all?

I don't know.

I mean-- asking to help them?

They could've told me they were just walking

to the back of the property to go to a house.

I definitely-- correct. This happened, absolutely.

- Yeah, it's okay. - It's okay.

But I don't know if me confronting them

and asking them if I could help them

would've stopped anything.

- Emergency. - Please help me.

Well, slow down. Slow down.

We were all shot in a holdup.

Okay, where are you at?

1201 East Amador, Las Cruces Bowl.

- Las Cruces Bowl? - Yes.

Okay, and there were shots fired?

Yes, all of us were hurt.

All of us were hurt.

I think I'm the only one conscious.

You were hurt?

Okay, we'll get an ambulance rolling.

- Please. - Okay. Did you see who did it?

No, sir. They told us all to get down.

They shot me five times.

Okay. Hang on. Take a deep breath.

We've got patrol units in route.

How many people are hurt?

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

The police department received the call

reporting a fire and people hurt at the Las Cruces Bowl.

Officers responded,

fire department personnel responded,

and paramedics responded.

Once they entered the Las Cruces Bowl,

they noticed that on the inside the office area,

that's where there was smoke.

They were able to observe, in that particular office,

at least seven bodies.

The bodies were "drug" out from the office.

Three people were left at the scene.

Deceased-- Steve Teran, T-U-R-A-N, in his 30s...

Paula Teran,

age 7.

Amy Houser, age 13.

Victoria Teran

was taken to Memorial General Hospital,

where... apparently she was dead on arrival,

3-year-old.

So you have three members of one family.

We have three survivors...

in their 30s

and one 12,

and I'm keeping that right now

under wraps

because of security purpose at the present time.

For a very long time,

it had a chilling effect on this town.

People in Las Cruces

started wondering,

"Are these kind of criminals,