ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A suspect who sparked a manhunt spanning three states is now heading to federal prison. Elias Buck has quite a criminal history, including shooting and wounding an officer.
Buck escaped from the La Plata County jail, where he was being held on carjacking charges, in December 2021. When Buck was approached by Farmington police in January 2022 during a DUI investigation, he opened fire, wounding Officer Joseph Barreto. Buck and his girlfriend, Victoria “Rossi” Hernandez, then fled the scene.
The U.S. Marshals Service was offering up to $10,000 for information leading to Buck’s arrest. Buck and Hernandez were later captured in Phoenix, Arizona at a gas station after a short foot chase. Buck was then extradited back to New Mexico.
On Wednesday, Mar. 22, 2023, Buck was sentenced to ten years in federal prison. He pleaded guilty to a federal charge of being a felon with a gun.
Although state prosecutors dropped the shooting charges during the federal case, the district attorney’s office says they plan to refile them.
