Alamogordo Fugitive Zackary Swafford, Wanted in 2023 Fatal DWI Hit-and-Run, Arrested in Cloudcroft After Living Under Assumed Name

March 30, 2026 – Alamogordo, New Mexico

The Cloudcroft Reader reports breaking the story that a man long wanted in connection with the 2023 fatal hit-and-run death of a pedestrian in Alamogordo is now behind bars after Cloudcroft law enforcement tracked him down in the mountain village, where he had been working under a false identity and disguising his appearance.

Zackary (also spelled Zachary) Allen Swafford, 33, was arrested Saturday, March 28, 2026, in the 1700 block of James Canyon Highway in Cloudcroft. He faces an Otero County failure-to-appear warrant tied to charges of homicide by motor vehicle (DWI), tampering with evidence, and knowingly leaving the scene of an accident. He also had active warrants out of Florida and Indiana, according to Cloudcroft Police Chief Roger Schoolcraft.

Swafford is being held without bond at the Otero County Detention Center.

The case stems from a tragic early-morning incident on September 23, 2023. At approximately 2:27 a.m., Alamogordo Police Department officers responded to the 600 block of First Street and located a 56-year-old male pedestrian deceased with injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle. The driver fled the scene without stopping or rendering aid.

The APD Major Crimes Unit investigation determined that Swafford — then 32 and under the influence of alcohol — was behind the wheel. He was initially arrested on December 6, 2023, on an Otero County Magistrate Court warrant for homicide by vehicle (DWI) and was booked into the Otero County Detention Center. However, he later failed to appear in court, prompting the active warrant that led to this week’s arrest.

Cloudcroft police say a confidential community tip led them to Swafford, who had been living and working locally as a waiter at a village restaurant. He had altered his appearance — changing his hair and beard length, removing distinctive ear gauges, and using a different name on social media — but identifying tattoos gave him away: a large tattoo on the right side of his neck and a full sleeve on his left arm.

Chief Schoolcraft personally confirmed the identification before launching the operation. “I went in there because I wanted to put eyes on the day before,” he told the Cloudcroft Reader. “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.” Once the tattoos matched, officers moved in.

The arrest was a coordinated effort involving the Cloudcroft Police Department, the Otero County Sheriff’s Office narcotics enforcement unit, and U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement. 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 posted on Facebook that the matter remains an active investigation being handled by the Alamogordo Police Department. No further details were released.

This case highlights the ongoing efforts of local agencies to apprehend fugitives who attempt to blend into small mountain communities. Swafford had reportedly been employed and interacting with the public in Cloudcroft while evading justice for more than two years.

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Alamogordo Police Department or Cloudcroft Police Department. The victim’s name has not been publicly released by authorities.

Sources include official statements from the Cloudcroft Police Department, Alamogordo Police Department news releases from 2023, and reportinge by the Cloudcroft Reader.

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