CLOVIS, N.M. (KRQE) – Two people are dead, a child is wounded, and a baby is missing after an incident in rural New Mexico on Friday.
On Friday, New Mexico State Police (NMSP) issued an Amber Alert for 10-month-old Eleia Maria Torres. Officials sent out the alert after the Clovis Police Department found the girl’s mom and another woman dead at Ned Houk Park.
The deceased victims were identified as 23-year-old Samantha Cisernos and 23-year-old Taryn Allen. A 5-year-old girl was also found injured at the scene. Authorities believe Torres should have been with her mother.
Eleia Maria Torres is 28 inches tall with brown eyes and brown hair. New Mexico State Police shared this photo of her with the Amber Alert:
Details remained limited during a Sunday press conference as investigators pleaded for information leading to Torres and those responsible for the “senseless act of violence.”
Investigators said surveillance footage showed the victims had stopped for food before going to a store in Clovis.
Later, two men entered Ned Houk Park and found Cisernos, Allen, and the young girl lying beside their van. A man walking in the park later told police he had heard gunshots, but did not immediately report them.
Authorities said the 5-year-old girl was still receiving medical treatment but did not explain what injuries they suffered. The fathers of both children have been cooperating with law enforcement.
Deputy Police Chief Trevor Thron said Sunday that investigators with New Mexico State Police helped search the ponds and surrounding areas. Those search efforts did not uncover any additional evidence.
Authorities obtained surveillance footage that showed the victims stopping for food before going to a store in Clovis. The FBI and Clovis police are now asking anyone with information to come forward, noting that no tip is “too small” or “insignificant.”
If you have any information on this case, call 575-763-9472.
Clovis is roughly 220 miles east of Albuquerque and 10 miles from the Texas border.