Woman accused of helping murder suspect in custody

Woman accused of helping carjacking murder suspect in custody

The woman authorities say was helping wanted murder suspect Zachary Babitz is now in custody.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The woman authorities say was helping wanted murder suspect Zachary Babitz is now in custody.

Jessie Dominguez is facing two counts of armed robbery in Las Cruces. As well as federal charges for violating probation and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Police say Dominguez and Babitz robbed an Arby’s in Las Cruces. They say she pointed a gun at an Arby’s employee and took $200 in cash.

Last week, KOB 4 heard from a woman who knew Dominguez. She told us when she met Dominguez the day of the robbery, Dominguez told her Babitz was her new boyfriend.

“It was my friend and her new boyfriend that she just got. She was introducing me to him, and I was taking him back to their hotel, and I stopped to get cigarettes at Walmart, and he punched me in the side of the head and took my vehicle,” said Erin Wear, an alleged carjacking victim. 

Las Cruces police say Dominguez was arrested by U.S. Marshals last week, and she’s currently being held at the Doña Ana County Detention Center.

This was all started after authorities say Babitz went on a statewide crime spree that included killing an elderly shopper in Santa Fe.

On Wednesday, we got new video showing how Las Cruces police arrested Babitz. They say he was hiding in a dumpster after the Arby’s incident.

The video shows Babitz trying to tell officers he was homeless, and claiming someone else threw a gun in the dumpster with him.

“He threw something in the dumpster, I looked at it, I looked at it, looks like a broken BB gun.”

Babitz is facing a multitude of charges across the state, along with federal charges for the Santa Fe shooting and carjacking.