Francisco Gomez
Charged with murder
A Los Lunas man has been indicted for two recent, violent crimes, one being the murder of a Belen Marine veteran.
Francisco Gomez, 37, of Los Lunas, has been indicted by a Valencia County grand jury on seven counts in connection to the August shooting death of Matthew Gurule, 32.
On July 27, Gomez allegedly robbed Gurule after seeing the veteran parked on Belen’s west mesa. According to the criminal complaint, Gomez shot Gurule multiple times in the head after telling him to run.
Gomez is charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, a second-degree felony; two counts of tampering with evidence, arson, fraudulent receipt of a credit card, and fraudulent use of an illegally obtained credit card.
Matthew Gurule
Marine veteran
In a separate case, Gomez was indicted on two counts of aggravated assault against a household member, both fourth-degree felonies; one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a fourth-degree felony, and shooting at or from a motor vehicle, also a fourth-degree felony.
According to the affidavit filed for his arrest warrant, Gomez is accused of shooting a man several times in the legs and buttocks at a home on La Entrada Road on Dec. 3, 2018.
The man survived, and a .22 caliber handgun allegedly belonging to Gomez was found at the scene.
The second victim in this case is Gomez’s girlfriend, Jeannine Willard, 45, who has been charged with multiple conspiracy counts in connection to Gurule’s death.
According to the grand jury indictment, Gomez is accused of assaulting or striking Willard with a firearm on the same day he shot the man in December.
Julia M. Dendinger began working at the VCNB in 2006. She covers Valencia County government, Belen Consolidated Schools and the village of Bosque Farms. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists Rio Grande chapter’s board of directors.
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April 18, 2024
