ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A man accused of killing a New Mexico State Police officer and taking his vehicle on I-40 near Tucumcari now faces two federal charges. Jaremy Smith is accused of carjacking resulting in death and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a violent crime.

Police say Officer Justin Hare was killed inside his State Police vehicle on the side of I-40 while trying to help the suspect deal with a flat tire.

A criminal complaint details how they tracked down Smith after the shooting. Officers say they found two shell casings in Officer Justin Hare’s patrol vehicle.

Investigators also found several bullets lodged in the patrol vehicle, including between the center console and the driver’s seat and in the front passenger door panel. They also found bullets lodged in the lockbox in the back of the vehicle where an officer locks their rifle away.

Officers searched the area around the vehicle. They found a first responder jacket and two phones – a silver iPhone and a black “BLU” brand cell phone.

Law enforcement say they determined the iPhone belonged to a South Carolina paramedic, Phonesia Machado-Fore, who went missing and was later found dead. Smith is a person of interest in that case.

The FBI reportedly learned that on February 27, Albuquerque police received a domestic violence call. In that instance, Smith reportedly wore a similar jacket as that suspect.

Then, they compared his booking photo to the photo captured by an in-car camera on Hare’s vehicle. That is how officers said they identified Smith as the same person as the suspect.

As the investigation led officers to Albuquerque, law enforcement captured Smith and found a white flatbed truck. Then, they learned about someone reporting a truck, with a similar description, stolen from the area of Cuervo. Cuervo is around 13 miles west of where everything unfolded near Tucumcari.

Prosecutors say they plan to hold off on filing state charges against Smith until his federal case wraps up.

Officials say authorities have arrested Smith 13 times in South Carolina and Georgia. They say he has two felony convictions – for attempted armed robbery and the taking of a hostage by an inmate.

Smith is in federal custody. He had his first court appearance Friday where he was wearing a hospital gown and had a cast and arm brace on.

Smith is expected to have his preliminary hearing Tuesday morning. He could face a capital sentence so he will be appointed two lawyers – one who has experience trying the death penalty.