Wrongful Death Suit Filed After Las Cruces Responders Allegedly Abandon Veteran's 911 Call
Marisa Ong attorney at Singleton Schreiber LLP, was featured by KFOX14/CBS4 in an article titled "Wrongful Death Suit Filed After Las Cruces Responders Allegedly Abandon Veteran's 911 Call," published in June 2026.
Ong serves as co-counsel for the family of Jacob Garcia, a 28-year-old Army veteran who died on April 17, 2025, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Singleton Schreiber filed the lawsuit on behalf of Garcia's family against the City of Las Cruces, two Las Cruces Police Department officers, and the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority.
The suit alleges the responding officers failed to make contact with Garcia following his 911 call, directed dispatch to cancel fire and medical units, turned off their body cameras, and cleared the scene without confirming his safety. It asserts claims of negligence, wrongful death, and violations of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, including a state-created danger theory, and seeks damages under New Mexico's Wrongful Death Act, Civil Rights Act, and Tort Claims Act.
"Jacob Garcia served his country for over a decade, came home, and reached out for help when he needed it most. This was not a tragedy beyond anyone's control. These were deliberate choices made by people with a duty to act, and Jacob's family deserves accountability for every one of them," said Ong.
