Texas man accused of killing New Mexico women and kidnapping an infant faces federal charge

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A Texas man accused of fatally shooting two New Mexico women and taking one of their children and seriously injuring another is now facing a federal kidnapping charge.

Alek Isaiah Collins, 26, appeared Tuesday before a federal judge in Abilene, Texas. He will remain in federal custody pending extradition to New Mexico, where he already faces state charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of Samantha Cisneros and Taryn Allen, both 23.

The women’s bodies were found May 3 in a park near Clovis, New Mexico, which is close to the Texas border. Authorities also discovered Cisneros’ 5-year-old daughter had been critically wounded and that her 10-month-old daughter was missing.

That kicked off a frantic search. With little to go on, investigators used cell phone records, surveillance video from stores in Clovis and a piece of a broken mirror from a vehicle to track down Collins in Texas.

The girl was found with Collins three days later. Authorities said she was unharmed.

Authorities have said a motive for the shootings and kidnapping remains unclear as Collins isn’t related to any of the victims.

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