Murder charge in Albuquerque after man admits shooting neighbour dead

A 30-year-old man has been charged with murder after turning himself in to Albuquerque police and admitting he shot and killed a neighbour at a northwest apartment complex.

Murder charge filed after fatal shooting at Albuquerque apartment complex

Albuquerque police have charged Markel Pinto, 30, with murder following the fatal shooting of Nico Taylor, 35, at the Volcanes Commons apartments on Glenrio Road N.W., kob.com reports.

Officers were called to the complex at around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, 19 July, after reports of a shooting. They found Taylor on the ground near an apartment with a gunshot wound to the torso. First aid was attempted, but Taylor did not survive.

Pinto turned himself in to police and admitted to shooting and killing Taylor. He told detectives the shooting was an act of self-defence, but investigators said Taylor was unarmed at the time.

Surveillance footage from a nearby apartment showed Pinto walking aggressively toward the area where Taylor was found, handgun in hand, while yelling in that direction. Detectives said Pinto's account of events was inconsistent with what the video showed.

According to police, Pinto and Taylor lived in separate units at the same complex. Pinto told investigators the two had been spending time together and had gone out to buy marijuana before the incident. He said an argument broke out between them over differing views on Native American culture — both men are Native American.

A handgun, which Pinto said he used in the killing, was recovered from his apartment.

Pinto is currently being held at the Bernalillo County jail.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)