JAL, N.M. — Before sunrise on Wednesday, a quiet stretch of the Merryman RV Park off New Mexico Highway 18 was flooded with flashing lights and sirens, marking the start of a tragedy that has left this small southeastern New Mexico community stunned. At about 5:56 a.m. on December 10, deputies from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office rushed to the park after multiple 911 calls reported people lying unresponsive. What they found within minutes would shake residents and families hundreds of miles away.
Inside the gravel lanes of the park, first responders discovered 20-year-old Álvaro Garza García and 22-year-old Andrea Rodriguez, both from Del Rio, Texas, motionless with fatal gunshot wounds. Nearby, a third man, later identified as 27-year-old Juan Morales of El Paso, Texas, was alive but gravely injured from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Despite frantic life-saving efforts by EMS, he was transported to a hospital in Kermit, Texas, where he was later pronounced dead.
Within hours, authorities confirmed that the incident was not a random act of violence but an apparent murder-suicide. The Lea County Sheriff’s Office quickly ruled out any ongoing danger to the public, emphasizing that no other suspects were at large and that all signs pointed to an isolated episode. Still, the pain of losing three young lives in such a tight-knit setting has rippled through the community.
For many, RV parks like Merryman are more than just temporary stops — they’re little enclaves where neighbors share stories, tools, and the occasional barbecue. Locals say it’s hard to reconcile the peaceful everyday routines they know with the stark reality of what unfolded early Wednesday. Family members and friends of the victims have been left grappling with shock, disbelief, and a flood of painful memories as they attempt to piece together what brought everyone to Jal that morning.
Investigators from the Criminal Investigations Division are now handling the case, pursuing clues that might explain the relationships among García, Rodriguez, and Morales. At this point, officials have declined to elaborate on any possible motives or preceding events, saying only that detectives are reviewing timelines, interviewing witnesses, and gathering evidence in hopes of understanding what preceded the fatal confrontation.
What remains clear is that this tragedy has left community leaders and residents searching for answers in its wake. Sheriff’s deputies have urged anyone with information to reach out to the Lea County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at (575) 396-9611, stressing that even the smallest detail could help piece together this heartbreaking puzzle.
Meanwhile, memorials and messages of support have begun to appear across social media and in local gatherings, as friends and loved ones remember García and Rodriguez not just as victims of a senseless act but as vibrant young people with friends, plans, and futures that were cut far too short. In the face of loss, Jal is left with questions — and a deep need for healing.
