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Court Records Portray Las Cruces Park Killing as Botched Gun Robbery

Investigators say texts found on Julia Clark’s phone outline a plan to lure two men to Salopek Park for an armed robbery.

Overview

  • Newly filed court documents allege Clark, 19, conspired with Esteban Munoz, 19, and Elijah Sambrano, 18, to ambush a man and steal a gun after a purchase trip to Anthony, Texas.
  • The records cite messages recovered from Clark’s phone that directed where to go, what to say, and how to act before and after the planned robbery.
  • The Sept. 4 shooting near Salopek Park left Clark fatally wounded; she was airlifted to University Medical Center of El Paso and died on Sept. 6, while a 19-year-old man survived with non-life-threatening injuries.
  • All three named suspects are in custody: Munoz is charged with armed robbery and conspiracy; Sambrano faces aggravated battery and tampering with evidence; Apolinar Rosales, 18, is charged with voluntary manslaughter, tampering with evidence, and resisting or obstructing.
  • A witness described two armed men exiting a white Chrysler 300 and an exchange of gunfire before suspects fled, and police continue to seek tips at (575) 526-0795 as the investigation remains active.