Violent Artesia crime may be kidnapping

ARTESIA, N.M. (KRQE) - Police are on the hunt for two suspects involved in a scary incident at a southeast New Mexico business.

Detectives said the suspects surprised a furniture store employee as she showed up for work Friday morning and restrained her inside the store.

Artesia police are still piecing together the crime scene.

Around 8:30 a.m. Friday police were called to Second Chances Thrift Store on South Fourth Street and Quay Avenue after reports of a kidnapping.

"We're gathering all kinds of evidence inside the store, from DNA, fingerprints, photographs, and other types of trace evidence that might be present," said Lindell Smith of the Artesia Police Department.

Detectives said a female employee went inside to open the store, somehow came into contact with at least one suspect and got into an altercation. She was restrained inside before someone else went in and found her.

The victim sustained minor injuries although police aren't saying how. By the time officers got there, the suspects were gone.

Police said they're now searching for two suspects.

"We're looking for specific suspects, ones that we are familiar with and we've dealt with before," said Smith.

Smith said police do not believe the suspects are a direct danger to the public but did not say whether they believe the suspects were armed.

Police are referring to the case as a violent incident, but Smith said it's unclear if someone was trying to burglarize the store or if some other motive is behind the crime.

Smith did say the crime is not gang related, and it appears the victim did not know the suspects.

"We have an idea about what happened there," Smith continued.  "We're just kind of trying to put that all together so that we can make a prosecutable case that's going to stand up in court."

Police are asking anyone who saw suspicious foot traffic around the store between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Friday to call Artesia police and ask for detectives working the case.

Smith also said this case has nothing to do with the suspicious vehicle reported near Artesia schools last week.