Carjackings Reported in Las Cruces and Albuquerque

A man accused in a 2024 killing in Santa Fe has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to the crime, federal prosecutors confirmed.

Zachary Babitz entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Gordon Wilson in the Office for the District of New Mexico, according to court records and a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Babitz was charged with firearms offenses connected to the fatal shooting, which occurred in Santa Fe in 2024.

The plea agreement resolves the federal case against Babitz, who had been indicted on charges including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and use of a firearm during a crime of violence. Prosecutors allege the weapon was used in the killing that took place in Santa Fe, though specific details of the incident were not disclosed in the plea proceedings.

Federal authorities emphasized that the case was investigated jointly by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from local law enforcement in Santa Fe. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico stated that the guilty plea ensures accountability under federal law for violent crimes involving firearms.

Babitz remains in federal custody pending sentencing. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled, but he faces a potential maximum penalty of life imprisonment under the federal statutes to which he pleaded guilty.

The case drew attention due to its connection to a series of violent incidents in northern New Mexico in 2024, including armed robberies and carjackings reported in Las Cruces and Albuquerque around the same time. However, federal prosecutors did not link Babitz directly to those other incidents in the court filings related to this plea.