Two Texico women were found dead at Ned Houk Park on Friday afternoon, a 5-year-old girl found with them was being treated for critical injuries and police were looking for a 10-month-old baby that may have been with the victims.
Police said late Friday they believe the women’s killer abducted the infant.
Police Lt. Steven Wright in a news release identified the deceased women as Samantha Cisneros, 23, and Taryn Allen, 23. New Mexico State Police late Friday issued an Amber Alert for the infant, Eleia Maria Torres. Cisneros was the mother to both children.
The Amber Alert reported the suspect “was possibly in a maroon Honda car.”
Clovis Deputy Police Chief Trevor Thron said police had no motive for the deaths. Thron said the women’s purses and belongings were found with them, along with a car belonging to one of the deceased.
Police said the 5-year-old found with the women was covered in blood and seriously injured. That child was taken to the Clovis hospital then transferred to Lubbock where she was listed in critical condition Friday night, Thron said.
Officials weren’t sure if the 5-year-old was shot, beaten or possibly hit with a car.
Thron said the missing infant is a half-sibling of the 5-year-old.
Thron said police interviewed the father of the missing infant and he is “not a suspect at this time.”
“Dad came in and talked to us and he was just as shocked as everyone else,” Thron said.
Police had not been able to locate the father of the 5-year-old late Friday, Thron said.
Thron said investigators had “no clue” late Friday what led to the deaths.
“We do know they were supposed to be at Walmart, from what family members knew, selling puppies,” Thron said.
“They had five puppies inside their vehicle at Ned Houk. Everybody thought they were at Walmart with the puppies. We’re not sure if they were at Walmart and then went to Ned Houk, we just don’t know.”
Police also weren’t sure how one woman died. One, Police Chief Roy Rice said, was shot. The second woman may have also been shot, but investigators with the Office of the Medical Investigator were trying to determine her cause of death late Friday.
Rice said an anonymous caller reported the scene but provided no additional information about 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
The Major Crimes Unit was immediately called in to investigate, Rice said.
Ned Houk Park is located about 5 miles north of Clovis on about 3,200 acres, according to the city of Clovis website. About 370 acres are developed, including a main lake stocked with fish and several picnic areas. The park is popular with area residents who ride horses and all-terrain vehicles.
Law enforcement blocked all entrances to the park after the bodies were discovered.
