Kimberly Skaggs, 54, a former treasurer for the Republican Party of New Mexico, has been arrested and charged with knowingly leaving the scene of a fatal accident and tampering with evidence. The charges stem from an incident on Monday afternoon in Las Cruces, where authorities allege Skaggs fatally struck 40-year-old Andrew Brown while he was riding his bicycle.
Deputies responded to the hit-and-run report on North Fairacres Road at approximately 2:46 p.m. Monday. They found Brown, who was severely injured and pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators observed "around 208 feet of skid marks" and a damaged bicycle scattered across the roadway, according to a criminal complaint. Investigators also found debris from the suspect's vehicle, including black pieces with "GM" imprinted on them, suggesting the make and model of the SUV.
A witness reported seeing a woman, described as having shoulder-length dark blonde hair, walking around the crash site before getting into a vehicle and fleeing northbound. The witness provided authorities with photographs of the driver and the vehicle, identified as a black Cadillac Escalade with a "Support the Troops" license plate.
Authorities used a license plate reader to track a vehicle matching this description speeding away from the area shortly after the crash. Surveillance footage from a nearby business also showed a vehicle appearing to be the same Cadillac traveling north at a high rate of speed, away from the scene. Investigators were able to track the Escalade using GPS technology to a property on Northwind Road, which authorities confirmed was owned by Skaggs.
Officers executed a search warrant on the property the following evening and located the Cadillac parked under a red metal carport behind the residence. The SUV showed damage to its front, including "blood splatter" near a front tire and bumper markings consistent with striking a bicycle. Court documents noted that two missing pieces from the lower front bumper area were consistent with the debris found at the crash site.
Skaggs, who previously served as chair of the Doña Ana County Republican Party, turned herself in to authorities on Wednesday and was booked into the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office jail. Her attorney stated that Skaggs maintains her innocence and voluntarily surrendered after learning of an arrest warrant. She is currently being held without bond, and prosecutors are seeking pretrial detention, planning to present the case to a grand jury.
According to court records, Skaggs has been cited for speeding multiple times in recent years, including a December citation for driving more than 30 mph over the speed limit. Those cases, along with four others, were dismissed due to a lack of prosecution. Skaggs has been active in state politics, running unsuccessfully for State Representative in District 36 in 2022 and 2024. The Republican Party of New Mexico confirmed Skaggs is "no longer affiliated" with the organization, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.