Murder in Milan
Drive-by shooting kills man; suspect arrested at motel

Milan Chief of Police Jerry Stephens takes down crime scene tape at the corner of Berryhill and Pintada Tuesday afternoon. Mark Gray was shot and killed in front of Elkins Park early Tuesday morning. Police roped off the area on Berryhill between Haystack and Pintada streets so New Mexico State Police could investigate the murder. One man has been arrested in the case. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

By Jim Maniaci
Cibola County Bureau

MILAN — A 32-year-old man died Monday night at the Grants hospital from gunshot wounds sustained in a drive-by shooting.

On Tuesday, New Mexico State Police arrested Omar Henley, 32, no address given, and booked him into the Cibola County Detention Center on charges of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence both without bond and $500 warrants from the Grants Municipal Court, jail officials said. He is accused of shooting Mark Gray.

State Police Lt. Jimmy Glascock said the arrest was done by a warrant and indicated the investigation continues. On Tuesday morning he had said warrants would be served so officers could search the suspect's car, a motel room in Grants where Henley was captured and several homes.

Police have not been able to determine a motive.

Milan police received a call at 7:14 p.m. of shots fired on Berryhill Street, across from the Josephine Elkins Park on the village's north side. The first officer on the scene was Village Police Sgt. Tommy Archuleta. Chief Jerry Stephens was called to the scene about 7:30 p.m. and asked the state police to take over the investigation around 7:45 p.m. The chief said he left the cordoned off block between Haystack Place and Pintada Avenue around 2:30 a.m., returning around 7:30 a.m. to detour traffic until the yellow tapes were removed around lunch time.

Glascock said the Criminal Investigations Bureau was called to 1417 Berryhill St. where Gray had been shot. Gray was able to run inside the house. The unidentified resident took him to Cibola General Hospital. The lieutenant said Gray died around 8:45 p.m.

Investigators determined that Henley allegedly drove by in a gray 1992 Honda and fired at Gray. Glascock said he didn't know how many rounds were fired or how many hit Gray.

Uniformed patrol officers found Henley at the Motel 6 at Exit 85 off Interstate 40 in Grants and took him into custody for questioning. Glascock did not indicate any resistance. Several mobile crime scene vans came to Milan and spent all morning processing the scene, taking measurements and photographs along with collecting evidence.

It is the first homicide inside the village limits this year.

— To contact reporter Jim Maniaci in Grants, telephone 285-6184 or (505) 870-7775 (cellular).