Surveillance videos and 911 calls outline terrifying incident at Chucky's

LAS CRUCES — Video surveillance footage and 911 calls obtained by the Sun-News paint a terrifying picture of events that happened Wednesday morning at Chucky's Gas Station in Doña Ana.

A man who had been loitering in front of the convenience store overnight suddenly attacks a mother with three children — seemingly without provocation — before punching several employees and patrons who tried to intervene. The man's rampage continues until a 16-year-old high school wrestling champ comes into the store and pins the suspect, holding him down until authorities arrive.

Daniel Beltran Arroyo, 21, of Phoenix, is eventually arrested and charged with one count of kidnapping, four counts of battery, two counts of assault and two counts of child abuse. He's being held without bond at the Doña Ana County Detention Center.

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Arroyo is scheduled for a pretrial detention Monday at 8:30 a.m., with Third District Court Judge Conrad Perea.

'Call the police'

Lorraine Provencio has been employed at Chucky's Gas Station for two years and was working Wednesday morning.

In an interview with the Sun-News, she said the incident was one of the most intense moments of her life.

About 9 a.m., Provencio and a co-worker were standing outside the store when a mother with three children — a 9-year-old, a 2-year-old and a 1-year-old — called to them for help.

The woman had just gotten off a Greyhound bus, which stops daily at Chucky's, and was waiting for an Uber.

Provencio said Arroyo — whom she recognized as having arrived on the Greyhound bus the previous day — was standing near the woman. She said she told Arroyo he needed to leave because the store doesn't allow loitering.

"And he said, 'I don't have to go, call the police,'" Provencio said.

MORE: Phoenix man charged in attempted kidnapping at Chucky's to be held until trial

So she pulled out her phone and dialed 911.

"I'm calling you from the Greyhound station in Doña Ana. I have a gentleman here that refuses to leave, I've got a lady here, she's got kids and this man is all up in her sh--. I've asked him to step away, and he refuses. I told him we don't allow loitering, and he says, 'Call the police,'" Provencio tells the 911 operator.

'That's when everything went crazy'

After hanging up with 911, Provencio said she told Arroyo to get away from the mother. Then, Provencio said, Arroyo yelled to mother, "give me your f------ kids," and reached for her 2-year-old daughter.

"That's when everything went crazy. I'm yelling, 'no, you're not taking her kids,'" Provencio said.

Arroyo is seen on surveillance camera pushing the mother down. She falls on her back, on top of her 1-year-old, who is in a carrier. The 2-year-old also falls.

"She hit the floor and when she hit the floor, I yelled, 'can I get a man to f------ help, can I get a man," Provencio said.

MORE CRIME: Chaparral man found guilty of kidnapping, child rape

The mother stands up and again Arroyo tries to grab the 2-year-old from her. As the mother tries get away, Provencio and another woman — a regular customer wearing an orange shirt — stand in his way. Arroyo is seen punching the woman in the orange shirt.

But the mother — carrying the 1-year-old on her back and the 2-year-old in her arms — and her nine-year-old running alongside are able to escape and run inside the store where they hide in a storeroom.

Hear the five phone calls made to 911 about the incident at Chucky's Gas Station.

Arroyo is seen running after the mother, but Provencio and anther woman who was outside try to block him from entering the store. A male customer, Julio Manuel Munguia, wearing a red baseball cap, who was inside, also stands at the doorway. Arroyo is seen punching them both.

Video footage shows Arroyo backing away. Provencio is able to enter the store and Munguia tries to hold the door shut from the inside. Arroyo pulls on the door from the outside and eventually he's able to get inside. Arroyo punches Munguia multiple times. Blood splatters on the store floor.

Provencio again calls 911.

Munguia gets away from Arroyo and heads outside. Arroyo is seen turning his back to the door and heads off camera. Witnesses would later tell authorities he continued to yell for the mother and her children.

Canaan arrives

Video footage shows Canaan Bower casually walking into the store.

Canaan (pronounced KAY-NIN), 16, had been filling up his truck with gas at the station across the street when he noticed the commotion. A Mayfield High School junior, Canaan won a district wrestling championship last month, competing as a heavyweight (285 pounds).

Video footage doesn't show Canaan confronting Arroyo, but witnesses say he took him down to the ground and put him in a wrestling hold.

MORE: Mayfield wrestling champ pins down suspected kidnapper at convenience store

Canaan and Arroyo then slide back into view of the surveillance camera. Canaan is on top and Arroyo struggles to get free. Canaan controls him from a top position for the next four minutes until a Doña Ana Sheriff's Deputy arrives.

During that time, several people walk in and out of the store. A few try to help.

The woman in the orange shirt tries to help Canaan contain Arroyo, kicking him at one point. Provencio also kicks Arroyo and attempts to hit him with a "Caution Floor Wet When Slippery," plastic sign. Then she grabs a bottle of wine before again picking up the caution sign.

Provencio said Arroyo was laughing as Canaan had him pinned.

"He kept squirming, so I kicked him in the ribs, and when I looked up, that's when the police were here," she said.

'Crazy man trying to take my children'

As Arroyo is taken down, the mother in the storeroom calls 911.

"There's a crazy man trying to take my children," the woman says, a baby crying in the background.

The mother tells the 911 operator between sobs that she's at a Greyhound station in New Mexico, but she doesn't know the address. She also tells the operator that she's pregnant and that she doesn't know the man who attacked her.

Bethany Freudenthal can be reached at bfreudenthal@lcsun-news.com, 575-541-5449 or @bethanyfreuden1 on Twitter.