SILVER CITY – A Santa Clara man was arrested and charged with murder on October 4 after police said he killed his wife with an ax.
Armando Zamora, 35, is charged with the murder of his wife Erica Zamora.
In a press release, New Mexico State Police Public Information Officer Lt. Mark Soriano that the NMSP received a missing person report for Erica on October 1st. She has not been seen or heard from since September 26.
While investigating her disappearance, NMSP investigators learned that Erica and her husband Armando were chopping firewood together on September 26th. He told the police that he dropped her off to her house after they finished chopping wood.
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However, Soriano said NMSP investigators tracked Armando’s whereabouts with a GPS ankle monitor.
Court records show Armando was required to wear the ankle monitor after pleading guilty to two criminal sexual contact cases with a minor under the age of 13 in 2019. He was serving a suspended sentence when the alleged murder occurred.
Soriano said NMSP investigators used the GPS to find the location where Armando and Erica were chopping wood.
“A sergeant searched the area and found a deceased woman who matched Erica Zamora’s description,” said Soriano.
Soriano said Armando admitted beating Erica to death with an ax. According to Soriano, he was booked into the Grant County Detention Center in Silver City without incident.
Prior to the incident, court records showed Armando filed for divorce on June 16. Armando and Erica had been married since 2011, according to divorce papers.
“These murder investigations remain active and ongoing as investigative bureau agents continue to collect all relevant evidence, interviews and information,” said Soriano.
Prosecutors from the 6th District Prosecutor’s Office filed a motion on Wednesday to keep Armando in prison while he awaits trial.
Justin Garcia is a public safety reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 575-541-5449 or on Twitter at @ Just516garc.
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