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Las Cruces bowling alley massacre

UNSOLVED1990Las Cruces Bowling Alley, 1201 East Amador Avenue, Las Cruces, New Mexico3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On the morning of February 10, 1990, two men entered the Las Cruces Bowling Alley at 1201 East Amador Avenue in Las Cruces, New Mexico, through an unlocked door as staff prepared to open for the day. One gunman confronted the alley's cook, Ida Holguin, in the kitchen and forced her at gunpoint into the office of manager Stephanie C. Senac, where Senac's 12-year-old daughter, Melissia Repass, and Melissia's 13-year-old friend, Amy Houser, were already being held by the second gunman.

The gunmen ordered the women and children to lie on the floor while they removed approximately $4,000 to $5,000 from the bowling alley's safe. During the robbery, the alley's 26-year-old pin mechanic, Steve Teran, arrived to drop off his two young daughters, two-year-old Valerie Teran and six-year-old Paula Holguin, at the alley's day care because he had been unable to find a babysitter. Teran walked into the office and discovered the scene. The gunmen then shot all seven people present multiple times at point-blank range before setting fire to papers on a desk and leaving the building.

The fire was reported at 8:33 a.m. Responding officers found that Amy Houser, Paula Holguin, and Steven Teran had died at the scene. Valerie Teran was taken to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Melissia Repass, though shot five times, was able to call 9-1-1 from the office phone, an act credited with enabling the rapid emergency response that saved her own life along with those of her mother and Ida Holguin. Stephanie Senac survived the initial attack but died in August 1999 due to complications from her injuries.

Within an hour of the shooting, police established ten roadblocks around Las Cruces and screened people leaving the city. The U.S. Customs Service, the Army, and the Border Patrol assisted with aerial searches using planes and helicopters, but no arrests were made.

As of 2015, the case remained under active investigation by the Las Cruces Police Department. In a 2016 Las Cruces Sun-News feature marking 26 years since the shooting, Anthony Teran, brother of victim Steven Teran, said the crime should not remain unsolved and urged anyone with information to come forward. Authorities have since sought to build a DNA profile from evidence recovered at the scene. The case has also been the subject of a documentary film and multiple television features aimed at generating new leads, though it remains unsolved.

Key facts

Victims
Valerie Teran, Stephanie C. Senac, Amy Houser, Ida Holguin, Steve Teran, Melissia Repass, Paula Holguin
Date
1990
Location
Las Cruces Bowling Alley, 1201 East Amador Avenue, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 1990-02-10

    Two gunmen enter the Las Cruces Bowling Alley, rob the safe, and shoot seven people in the manager's office; a fire is set in the office before the gunmen flee. Amy Houser, Paula Holguin, Steven Teran, and Valerie Teran die; Stephanie Senac, Melissia Repass, and Ida Holguin survive their initial injuries.

  2. 1990-04-25

    The case is featured on the television series Unsolved Mysteries.

  3. 1995-03

    America's Most Wanted profiles the case for the first time.

  4. 1999-08

    Stephanie Senac dies from complications related to injuries sustained in the shooting.

  5. 2004-11

    America's Most Wanted profiles the case a second time.

  6. 2010

    Documentary film A Nightmare in Las Cruces is released on the 20th anniversary of the shooting.

  7. 2010-03

    America's Most Wanted profiles the case a third time.

  8. 2015

    The case remains under active investigation by the Las Cruces Police Department.

  9. 2016

    Anthony Teran, brother of victim Steven Teran, is featured in a Las Cruces Sun-News article marking 26 years since the shooting, urging witnesses to come forward.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Valerie Teran

    VICTIM

    2-year-old daughter of Steve Teran; taken to hospital and declared dead on arrival.

  • Stephanie C. Senac

    VICTIM

    Bowling alley manager; survived the initial shooting but died in August 1999 from complications of her injuries.

  • Amy Houser

    VICTIM

    13-year-old friend of Melissia Repass; killed at the scene.

  • Ida Holguin

    VICTIM

    Bowling alley cook; forced into the office at gunpoint and shot, but survived.

  • Steve Teran

    VICTIM

    26-year-old pin mechanic; killed at the scene after walking in on the robbery while dropping off his daughters.

  • Melissia Repass

    VICTIM

    12-year-old daughter of Stephanie Senac; shot five times but survived and called 9-1-1 for help.

  • Paula Holguin

    VICTIM

    6-year-old daughter of Steve Teran; killed at the scene.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Las Cruces Bowling Alley, 1201 East Amador Avenue, Las Cruces, New Mexico

32.3100, -106.7670

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On February 10, 1990, two unidentified gunmen shot seven people at point-blank range inside an office at the Las Cruces Bowling Alley in New Mexico, killing five and setting the office on fire before fleeing. The case remains unsolved.
Where did the massacre happen?
Las Cruces Bowling Alley, 1201 East Amador Avenue, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.
More cases in New Mexico

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICLas Cruces bowling alley massacreWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — CNNCNN · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — Associated PressAssociated Press · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026