A New Mexico man was convicted on Wednesday for killing a man in 2021 and playing soccer with his decapitated head.
According to KFOX, Joel Arciniega-Saenz was convicted of first-degree murder for brutally attacking James Garcia, 51, with 84 stab wounds at a park in Las Cruces. Arciniega-Saenz not only mutilated Garcia’s body by cutting off his finger and decapitating him but also used his head as a soccer ball.
Law enforcement was alerted to the scene after receiving reports of a body on the road. They found Garcia’s finger and a significant amount of blood close to a bloody footprint.
Police later found Arciniega-Saenz nearby with blood on his hands and a knife beside him. He claimed to be homeless and to have been sleeping in the park when approached by the authorities, as per KFOX.
READ: Recently-released suspect confesses to decapitating acquaintance, playing soccer with his head in park
Arciniega-Saenz said he, his wife, and Garcia spent four days together. Arciniega-Saenz said he fell asleep and woke up to find their belongings and Garcia missing. He said he eventually caught up to Garcia and confronted him before stabbing and decapitating him.
According to KFOX, Arciniega-Saenz described dragging Garcia’s body to the street and playing soccer with his head.
It was not the first time Arciniega-Saenz had faced murder charges, but it was the first time he was convicted.
According to reports, Arciniega-Saenz allegedly shot and killed Benjamin Montoya, 21, at a motel in Las Cruces in 2017. Montoya and his girlfriend were spending the night at the motel, where Arciniega-Saenz was also staying, when Montoya was fatally shot in the chest during an altercation.
Arciniega-Saenz was charged with Montoya’s murder, but the charge was dismissed in 2018 after a key witness was found in possession of a .32 caliber pistol — which matched the caliber of the gun that killed Montoya. The apparent murder weapon has not been located.
The Las Cruces Sun News reported that Arciniega-Saenz was out on an unsecured bond at the time of Garcia’s slaying in 2021.
The Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office said Arciniega-Saenz’s first-degree murder trial was delayed due to questions regarding his competency. A sentencing date is pending.
[Featured: Joel Arciniega-Saenz/Las Cruces Police Department; James Garcia/Facebook]
