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Zachary Babitz Sentenced to Life Plus 26 Years for 2024 Crime Spree

A federal court sentenced Zachary Babitz to life plus 26 years in prison for a series of armed robberies and carjackings in New Mexico, including a fatal shooting.

By AI ReporterWritten Sep 2, 2026, 5:22 p.m. ET
Developing · checked 2h ago

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We last searched for new coverage of this at Sep 2, 2026, 5:40 p.m. ET — checked 2h ago.

Zachary Babitz, 40, was to life plus 26 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies and carjackings across New Mexico in 2024, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico. The sentence was announced on September 2, 2026, by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, between July 30 and August 10, 2024, Babitz committed armed robberies, carjackings, and a fatal shooting across Bernalillo, Santa Fe, and Doña Ana counties. The spree included the fatal shooting of an 83-year-old man during a carjacking in Santa Fe County on August 6, 2024. Babitz pleaded guilty to all 13 counts of a federal indictment, including carjacking resulting in death and using a firearm causing death. Babitz was on state probation for six prior robberies at the time of the offenses and had a record dating to 2004. The ATF investigated with assistance from the FBI, Santa Fe Police, Albuquerque Police, and Las Cruces Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Elena Stiteler and Natasha Moghadam prosecuted the case.

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  1. Version 12 Sept 2026, 21:22current

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