DEMING – A nearly 48-hour search across rural eastern New Mexico came to an end outside Fort Sumner on February 25, when New Mexico State Police and partner agencies took a man and woman into custody following an officer-involved shooting, multiple vehicle thefts, and a multi-county manhunt.
Authorities say the investigation began two days earlier along U.S. Highway 285, south of Vaughn, when a New Mexico State Police sergeant attempted to stop a reportedly stolen black Kia Sportage. During that encounter, police allege a male passenger exited the vehicle armed with a rifle and fired toward the sergeant. The sergeant returned fire from behind his patrol unit while the suspects fled the scene in the stolen vehicle.
As officers searched the area, a second violent incident was reported several miles south. A couple told police they had been forced off the roadway at gunpoint near mile marker 166, where a shot was fired into the ground to compel them to stop. Investigators say the suspects then stole the victims’ gray Kia K5 and continued fleeing.
Both vehicles involved were later recovered abandoned. The first Kia Sportage was found off the roadway near the junction of U.S. Highway 285 and New Mexico Highway 247 after tearing through fencing and coming to rest in an open field. The second Kia was discovered east of River Road and Lone Wolf Road, south of Fort Sumner.
On February 25, law enforcement located the suspects hiding in a shed outside Fort Sumner. The pair were arrested without further incident and booked into custody.
Police identified the suspects as Jovan Martinez, 40, and Makaela Johnson, 26. Martinez faces multiple felony charges, including attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, aggravated fleeing, and firearms-related offenses. Johnson faces charges including conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault on a peace officer, harboring a felon, escape from a peace officer, and larceny.
New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler praised the coordinated response, saying violence against officers will be met with swift accountability and thanking partner agencies for their assistance. The United States Marshals Service, which assisted in the search, echoed that commitment through David O. Barnett Jr., emphasizing cooperation to reduce violent crime statewide.
No officers were injured during the incident. The sergeant involved has been placed on standard administrative leave, and his identity has not been released pending completion of interviews.
The case remains under investigation by the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau. As with all officer-involved shootings, the agency will forward its findings to the appropriate district attorney, who alone will determine whether the officer’s actions were justified.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.