Fugitive wanted in Alamogordo hit-and-run death arrested in Cloudcroft
After working locally under an assumed name, Zackary Swafford was arrested by local law enforcement on Saturday, March 28, on charges stemming from a 2023 incident in Alamogordo.
A man wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run case in Alamogordo was taken into custody in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, last Saturday after authorities say the suspect had been living and working in the mountain village under a false identity — until a community tip led to his arrest.
Zackary Swafford was arrested in the 1700 block of James Canyon Highway, according to a news release from the Cloudcroft Police Department.
Swafford had been wanted in Otero County on a failure-to-appear warrant stemming from charges of homicide by motor vehicle, tampering with evidence, and knowingly leaving the scene of an accident.
He also had outstanding warrants out of Florida and Indiana, according to Cloudcroft Chief of Police Roger Schoolcraft.
After the arrest, Swafford was transported to the Otero County Detention Center, where he is being held without bond.
The underlying charges trace back to a 2023 incident in Alamogordo, in which a 56-year-old male pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle whose driver fled without rendering aid. The case was investigated by the Alamogordo Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit.
Chief Schoolcraft said, ”I was contacted by a confidential source who had information specific to this — who the subject was — and that his real name was Zackary Swafford, and that he had a warrant for his arrest out of Otero County, out of Alamogordo.”
Armed with that name, Schoolcraft pulled Swafford’s records and confirmed the active warrant. But before mobilizing a team, he wanted to make a positive visual identification himself.
“I went in there because I wanted to put eyes on the day before,” Schoolcraft said. “I wanted to make 100% sure before we started putting a bunch of people in place, and it turns out to be the wrong guy.”
Swafford had altered his appearance — changing his hair and beard length and removing distinctive ear gauges — and was using a different name on social media. But his tattoos gave him away.
“He had identifying tattoos — a big tattoo on his right neck and a sleeve on his left arm,” Schoolcraft said. “That’s our guy. The tattoos are the giveaway.”
Swafford had been employed as a waiter at a local restaurant, according to Schoolcraft, who said the business was unaware of their employee’s true identity or legal history.
“None of the people up here knew,” Schoolcraft said. “He had disguised his look a little bit and changed his name.”
With the identification confirmed, Schoolcraft coordinated a multi-agency operation. The arrest on March 28 was a joint effort between the Cloudcroft Police Department, the Otero County Sheriff’s Office narcotics enforcement unit, and the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement.
Officers developed an operations plan the day before, including the use of undercover personnel to monitor Swafford’s movements and establish his location.
“We always give specific locations where we can respond really quick but be out of their eyesight,” Schoolcraft said. “When they tell us to go ahead and converge, we do.”
Swafford was taken into custody on foot, without incident.
“My top priority: keep us safe, keep the public safe, catch the bad guy without ending up in a shooting incident,” Schoolcraft said. “They can get pretty desperate.”
The Otero County Sheriff’s Office announced through Facebook that “This remains an active investigation being conducted by the Alamogordo Police Department. No further information is available at this time.”
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