Pancho Garcia Sentenced to 23 Years for 2025 Shooting Death of Local School Bus Driver

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Third Judicial District Attorney Fernando Macias announced Monday that Pancho Garcia was sentenced to 23 years in prison for the shooting death of Juan Lujan, a school bus driver for Las Cruces Public Schools. A jury found Garcia guilty of second-degree murder in April.

On June 10, 2025, an investigation revealed Garcia, 35, was staying at a motel on Picacho Avenue when he exited his room and fired several shots into a vehicle stopped at a traffic light at Picacho Avenue and 17th Street. Garcia then returned to his motel room.

The driver of that vehicle, Juan Lujan, 29, was struck four times. Las Cruces police officers responded to the scene and administered lifesaving measures, but Juan Javier Lujan Garces was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witness statements and 911 calls helped investigators identify Garcia, who was located a short time later inside his motel room. Garcia barricaded himself inside the room, prompting the Las Cruces Police Department to deploy its SWAT team. Officers eventually breached a window, and Garcia later exited the room and was taken into custody.

“This was a senseless act of violence that took the life of a husband, father, and valued member of our community,” District Attorney Fernando Macias said. “This sentence ensures that justice was served and that Garcia is held accountable for his actions.”

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Anne Swank and Tomas Medina and investigated by the Las Cruces Police Department.