A Las Cruces resident, Daniel Guereca, has pleaded guilty in federal court to robbing two banks in New Mexico in February 2025.
Court documents state that on February 12, 2025, Guereca, age 29, robbed the U.S. Bank in Los Lunas. He wore a black hoodie and a white mask and handed a handwritten demand note to two tellers before leaving with at least $6,000. Breanne Gallegos, also 29, assisted as the getaway driver and wrote the demand note used in the robbery.
On February 20, 2025, Guereca robbed PNC Bank in Las Cruces. He wore a green hat, white mask, black hoodie, Adidas jacket, and sunglasses. Again using a handwritten note claiming he was armed and demanding $20,000, he received $3,313 from the teller before fleeing. Aarika Cuevas, age 35, waited outside as the getaway driver; she wrote the demand note for this robbery and entered the bank beforehand to assess its security.
Investigators identified Guereca through fingerprint analysis of the demand note left at PNC Bank and surveillance footage matching his description from both incidents.
Guereca pleaded guilty to bank robbery charges and faces up to 20 years in federal prison. After serving his sentence, he will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Gallegos has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank robbery and could receive up to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Cuevas is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank robbery; if convicted she faces up to five years in prison.
"Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today."
The case was investigated by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with help from local law enforcement agencies including police departments from Las Cruces and Los Lunas as well as the Valencia County Sheriff's Office. Criminal Chief Richard Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant B. Gardner are prosecuting these cases.
