Jeremy Chad Ridens, a beloved father, brother, and son, was known by those who loved him for his laid-back personality, generosity, and loyalty. A native of Roswell, New Mexico, born on November 3, 1981, the 35-year-old White man was a small business owner who ran a successful landscaping company. Jeremy, who held a Bachelor of Business Administration from Westwood College in Denver, Colorado, was remembered as someone you could always count on to cheer you up with a joke or words of encouragement. He was the proud father of two boys, Bryce and Hayden.
Tragedy struck in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, November 23, 2016, the day before Thanksgiving. At approximately 3 a.m., residents on the 300 block of East Bonney Street in Roswell were startled by the sound of multiple gunshots. When police responded to the scene, they discovered Jeremy in the yard of a home, suffering from multiple serious injuries.
He was alive when found and was rushed to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
Investigators with the Roswell Police Department determined that Jeremy had been involved in a physical altercation with at least one person in the yard of a nearby house. During the confrontation, which was believed to be connected to an attempted robbery, Jeremy was shot. Wounded, he managed to make his way to the yard of another home on the same block before collapsing. His death was the 13th homicide in Roswell in 2016.
The investigation quickly gained momentum. Within a day, police arrested two suspects in connection with the murder. Joshua Linares, 21, and Santiago Aguilar, 20, were taken into custody and booked into the Chaves County Detention Center. They were charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit armed robbery and were held without bond. In the initial days of the investigation, detectives also asked for the public's help in locating a person of interest, 19-year-old Estrella Montantez, who they believed might have key information. According to a late November 2016 report in the Roswell Daily Record, Montantez was quickly located by authorities.
A funeral service for Jeremy was held on November 30, 2016, at the Ballard Funeral Home Chapel, followed by a burial at South Park Cemetery. He was survived by his two sons, his parents, his brother and his family, and many other relatives and friends who cherished him.
The case against the two men charged with Jeremy's murder moved through the justice system, but information regarding the final court disposition, including potential trials, pleas, or sentences for Joshua Linares and Santiago Aguilar, has not been publicly reported in subsequent news coverage.
As of late 2016, the investigation by the Roswell Police Department had led to the arrests of two individuals and the locating of a person of interest. The case remains a painful memory for a family that lost a man known for his kindness and ability to make others feel instantly at ease. Anyone with information regarding the homicide of Jeremy Ridens is asked to call the Roswell Police Department at (575) 624-6770 or Chaves County Crime Stoppers at 1-888-594-TIPS (8477).
