Police: security guard murdered on duty

ARTESIA, N.M. (KRQE) - A security guard in southeast New Mexico was murdered on the job. Police believe the killer is the subject of a 9-1-1 call the guard made, just moments before his phone went dead.

West Main Street in Artesia is a busy place during the day, but abandoned at night. It became a crime scene Sunday night, when police said 24-year old Michael Evans was killed.

Evans was on duty for Sierra Security, guarding the area around the Yates Petroleum building.

He called police to report a suspicious person in the alley.

"Well at ten o'clock at night on a Sunday, that business is closed," Sgt. Lindell Smith, of the Artesia Police Department explained. "There isn't anybody that would normally be coming in and out, aside from employees."

Evans told police the suspicious man walked away when he spotted Evans talking on the phone. When Evans moved toward another building, he saw the man again and told dispatch the man was walking toward him.

The suspect was described as tall and skinny, wearing black gloves, a green jacket or sweatshirt, and had a blue bandana over his face. The man also had a silver gun.

Evans told dispatch it seemed the man was flagging him down, and that's when his phone went dead.

Police arrived about three minutes after Evans called them, but it was too late. Sgt. Smith said Evans was found in his security car shot to death.

Smith said there were no signs on scene of a struggle. Evans suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later.

Sgt. Smith said there's nothing on scene that tells police Evans stumbled on a crime in progress.

"I don't want to say that this is a random thing because, you know we don't know that for certain, but Mr. Evans seemed to be on duty, doing what he was assigned to do," said Smith.

Security cameras in the area recorded the crime, and police are pouring over the tapes and working all leads to find the killer.

"As soon as we identify that person, we'll hold him accountable for his crimes," said Smith.

So far, no witnesses have come forward.

This is Artesia's second homicide this year.