Jeremiah Peña-Nieto sentenced to 20 years in prison for 2020 murder

Lina Portman2 days ago

0 1 minute read

Third Judicial District Judge Conrad Perea sentenced Jeremiah Peña-Nieto, 21, to more than two decades in prison for a 2020 murder.

In April 2024, Peña-Nieto was convicted of one count of second-degree murder, two counts of tampering with evidence, and one count of conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence in the 2020 killing of 18-year-old Jacob Daniel Becerra.

Peña-Nieto was 17 at the time of the murder and was placed in juvenile programs before reaching the age of majority while incarcerated. Perea noted that Peña-Nieto’s social media posts showed him brandishing firearms, which showed he was aware of his intentions and actions, leading Perea to sentence Peña-Nieto as an adult.

This is the second time Peña-Nieto has been tried. In May 2022, a judge declared a mistrial three days into a murder trial after questions about a missing toxicology report led to an abrupt end to a case involving a juvenile defendant.

On August 6, 2020, shortly before 5 p.m., a Las Cruces police officer discovered a maroon 2018 Kia Forte that had crashed into a utility pole on Farney Lane to the east, near Park Drive to the west. The Kia appeared to be traveling south on Park Drive to the west before crossing Farney Lane and crashing into a light pole.

The driver was identified as Becerra, who was fatally shot. The New Mexico Medical Investigator's Office determined Becerra's death was a homicide.

Witnesses and video footage reviewed by Las Cruces police repeatedly showed a man dressed in black and wearing white shoes fleeing the scene. After an extensive investigation of the video footage and social media footage, as well as interviews with witnesses and friends of the deceased, Las Cruces police identified and arrested Peña-Nieto as the passenger who shot and killed Becerra.

Lina Portman

Related Articles

5 Fun Wine Getaways Near DC

Man convicted of forging Purdue professors' signatures to change grades

Miss USA boss denies former Miss USA's harassment allegations

What do voters think of this matter?