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Homicide Map 2006

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• Albuquerque metro area saw 54 homicides in 2007
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• Guns were weapon of choice in homicides in Albuquerque this year

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Fifty-three men, women and children were slain in the Albuquerque area this year as of Friday. Summaries of how they died, who is accused of their deaths, the motives and the status of the cases were compiled from criminal complaints, reports and interviews provided by the Albuquerque Police Department, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department and the Rio Rancho Department of Public Safety. The agency that handled the case is also noted.

1. Jan. 8. APD. Jonathan Witt, 18, was shot in the chest at 1012 Washington Ave. S.E. His friend, Michael Gosnell, 24, told police he didn't think the gun was loaded but was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Motive: Negligence. Status: Closed by arrest.

2. Jan. 21. BCSD. Phillip Garcia, 17, was shot at a home in the 5500 block of Murchison Avenue Southwest in what police say was an accident caused when Garcia's brother, Brandon Garcia, 14, fired the gun. Motive: Accidental. Status: No charges filed.

3. Jan. 26. APD. Johnny Gonzales, 18, was shot in the parking lot of the John Brooks grocery store at 2280 Wyoming Blvd. N.E. when he and a friend were playing with weapons. Witnesses say he had a knife and Robert Krogman, 15, had a gun, which fired. Krogman was charged with second-degree murder. Motive: Negligence. Status: Closed by arrest.

4. Feb. 2. APD. Derrick Platero, 18, and stepbrother Nathan Charley, 29, were drinking at Charley's apartment at 3803 Aspen Ave. N.E. when they got into an argument over using too many minutes on a cell phone, and Platero was stabbed with a kitchen knife. Motive: Argument. Status: Closed by arrest.

5. Feb. 13. APD. Korina Valles, 18, was shot in the stomach when her boyfriend, Steven Montoya, 17, said the two were playing with a gun in the family's mobile home at 239 Virginia St. S.E. Criminalistics tests indicated that it was a contact gunshot wound. Motive: Negligence. Status: Closed by arrest.

6. Feb. 15. BCSD. Sean Cordova, 19, was stabbed at a convenience store at 6130 Edith Blvd. N.W. Andrew Mendoza, 17, is charged. Motive: Gang-related. Status: Closed by arrest.

7. Feb. 21. BCSD. Francis Joseph Galla, 57, was shot in his home at 2018 Nancy St. S.W. A suspect has been identified. Motive: Drug-related. Status: Arrest warrant issued.

8. Feb. 21. APD. Modelle Mayo and her husband, Maurice Mayo, both 82, were found shot to death in their home at 2700 Vista Grande S.W. in an apparent murder-suicide. Police believe the husband killed his wife, then himself. Family members say both were old and ill. Motive: Domestic. Status: Closed as murder-suicide.

9. March 16. APD. Laden Nichols, six months, died as the result of child abuse at 9180 Coors Blvd. N.W. Autopsy results found that the child, a twin, suffered lacerations throughout his liver, a broken rib and severe bruising. His father, Jeremy Nichols, 20, is charged. Motive: Domestic. Status: Closed by arrest.

10. March 22. BCSD. James McGrane Jr., 38, was a Bernalillo County sheriff's deputy on patrol in the East Mountains when he made a traffic stop near N.M. 337 and Old Highway 66 and was shot at close range in the face. After an intensive 13-day manhunt, Michael Paul Astorga, 29, was arrested. He was also wanted for a homicide in November. Motive: Elude arrest as murder fugitive. Status: Closed by arrest.

11. April 2. APD. Clifton Montoya, 26, was shot and left in the roadway at 2337 Hollywood Blvd. N.W. Eric Devine, 24, told family members that "something" happened when he and Montoya got into a fight. Motive: Argument. Status: Closed by arrest.

12. April 8. APD. Anthony Lizotte, 35, was stabbed in the neck, apparently over a crack cocaine deal. The stabbing occurred at the Tewa Motor Lodge, 5715 Central Ave. N.E., where police say Lizotte and a woman were knocking on doors looking for crack until they reached the door of Arthur Johnson, 45. Witnesses told police they heard Johnson say he had "taken care of the problem." Motive: Drug-related. Status: Closed by arrest.

13. April 16. APD. Aaron Chavez, 33, was shot multiple times in the parking lot of a Checker Auto Parts at 10030 Central Ave. S.E. after exchanging dirty looks with a group of kids. Lance Tungovia, 17, and Lloyd Passes, 23, are charged. Motive: Argument. Status: Closed by arrest.

14. April 17. Rio Rancho. Sarah Feeney, 22, was found dead in her apartment at Entrada Pointe, 900 Country Club Drive, in Rio Rancho. Evidence was submitted to the state crime lab, but the results, including how Feeney was killed, are still pending. Motive: Unknown. Status: Open.

15. April 17. APD. Kenneth Triana, 21, was shot multiple times near 614 Second St. S.W., apparently over a debt he owed to Israel Q. Herrera, 39. Motive: Argument. Status: Closed by arrest.

16. April 23. BCSD. Brian Carasco, 17, was shot in a convenience store parking lot at 2810 Coors Blvd. S.W. Motive: Gang-related. Status: Open.

17. April 23. APD. Fabian Padilla, 5, was run over twice by a Chevy Tahoe backing up in a driveway at 523 Utah St. S.E. Witnesses had to keep Jose Silva, 38, from leaving. He later told police he had drunk five or six beers with a friend before getting in his truck. Motive: Alcohol-related. Status: Closed by arrest.

18. April 20. APD. Jasmine Cortez, four months, was shaken so hard her brain was bleeding and swollen. Her father, Marcus Cortez, 21, told police the baby fell off a bed at 735 Shire St. S.W., but he later admitted he had been "rough" with the child and shook her. Motive: Domestic. Status: Closed by arrest.

19. April 28. APD. Marcus Nieto, 43, was beaten to death and left on the sidewalks at 50th Street and Central Avenue Southwest. Motive: Unknown. Status: Open.

20. May 3. BCSD. Mary Ellen Padilla, 70, was raped, then strangled with a cloth. Her nude body was left in an empty lot near her apartment at Sunset Road and Bridge Boulevard Southwest. Arturo Alvarado, 31, and Jack Leonard Garcia, 35, who had been seen panhandling in the area before the attack, have been charged. Motive: Sexualized violence. Status: Closed by arrest.

21. May 30. APD. Genaro Sotelo 40, was stabbed in the back, neck and chest and stuffed in the back of his car, parked in the San Jose de Armijo Cemetery at 2957 Arenal Road S.W. He had been killed apparently because he mooched too much beer and cocaine from an acquaintance. Alejandro Jose Meraz-Gonzalez, 26, is charged but is believed to be on the run in Mexico. Motive: Argument. Status: Arrest warrant issued.

22. June 4. APD. Rolando Shirley, 28, was stabbed during a fight at 341 Dallas St. N.E. with Candace Begay, 21, and Misty Nez, 23. Nez is charged with murder; Begay is charged with evidence tampering. Motive: Argument. Status: Closed by arrest.

23. July 1.APD. Henry Nieto, age unknown, was beaten with a bat Sept. 25, 2005, at 4506 Central Ave. S.W. He died from his injuries Oct. 6, 2005, and his death was ruled a homicide. Motive: Unknown. Status: Open.

24. July 3. APD. Roy Davidson, age unknown, was found stabbed and slumped over behind the steering wheel of a car parked at 1001 Lead Ave. S.E. Police say he may have been killed in a fight over dealing drugs. Motive: Drug-related. Status: Open.

25. July 4. BCSD. Francisco Garcia, 24, was shot to death while collecting money in a drug deal at 217 Placitas Road N.E. Daniel Ortiz-Bonilla, 27, and Fernando Ronquillo, 45, were charged, but the shooter remains at large. Motive: Drug-related. Status: Open.

26. July 4. APD. Kirk Carroll, 48, was shot to death during a struggle for his Albuquerque police officer son's service weapon at their house at 1716 Desert Breeze S.W. Officer Orlando Camacho, 26, has not been charged but is on leave pending the outcome of an investigation. Motive: Domestic. Status: Under investigation.

27. July 7. APD. Randi Regensberg, 21, was six months pregnant when she was killed, despite 911 warning calls from neighbors who were concerned for her. Police say ex-boyfriend Cory Kotrba, 28, shot her at his home at 7716 Javelina Road S.W., then killed himself. The couple had endured a violent history. Motive: Domestic. Status: Closed as murder-suicide.

28. July 11. APD. Joe Raymond Saavedra, 35, was badly beaten in September 2005 and later died of his injuries. George Lackey, 25, is charged. Motive: Argument. Status: Turned over to District Attorney's Office.

29. July 15. BCSD. Jonathan Guerro, 22, was found shot to death in a field at 6600 Sage Road S.W. Motive: Drug-related. Status: Open.

30. July 16. BCSD. Fermin Rodriguez Gonzales, 21, was found shot to death in a truck that was still running and had nose-dived into an irrigation ditch at Coors Boulevard and Powers Way Southwest. Motive: Drug-related. Status: Open.

31. July 19. BCSD. Alberto Sandoval, 21, was shot in an altercation at a Giant gas station at Coors Boulevard and Arenal Road Southwest. Motive: Gang-related. Status: Open.

32. July 23. APD. David Abalos, 46, was stabbed to death outside some apartments at 6500 Montgomery Blvd. N.E. He and cousin Ruben Olivas, 26, had been drinking at Hooters Bar and Grill and got into a fight over money. Motive: Alcohol-related, argument. Status: Closed by arrest.

33. Aug. 10. APD. Raymundo Lujan, 30, was shot in the parking lot of a Subway restaurant at 113 Eubank Blvd. N.E. Police say he was lured to the restaurant by Henry L. Chavez, 49, whose son, Henry T. Chavez, 28, then pulled out a rifle and shot him. Both father and son are charged. Motive: Unknown. Status: Closed by arrest.

34. Aug. 14. APD. Melven Dean Twitchell, 21, was bludgeoned to death and stuffed into a trash can at 1133 Louisiana Blvd. S.E. near Gibson Boulevard. He had apparently gotten into an argument with roommate Mark McCardell, 35, possibly over a woman they had both been romantically linked to. Motive: Argument. Status: Closed by arrest.

35. Aug. 23. APD. Jeremy Salazar, 14, was caught in the crossfire of a gang fight. The bullet meant for his older brother struck and killed him instead at the St. Anthony Apartments, 1750 Indian School Road N.W. Motive: Gang-related. Status: Open.

36. Aug. 25. APD. David Galbiso, 19, was shot in a parking lot at Sixth Street and Central Avenue Northwest as he attempted to get away from a fight between two groups of people who had just left the Coliseum night club. Motive: Argument. Status: Open.

37. Aug. 31. BCSD. Adam Ramirez, 31, was shot, his body found in a ditch near 2327 Foothill Drive S.W. near Coors Boulevard and Arenal Road. Motive: Gang-related. Status: Open.

38. Sept. 3. APD. Javier Torres, 23, and three teens are accused of assaulting Gabriel Contreras, 21, at Contreras' home at 920 Continental Loop S.E. when Contreras fought back with a gun one of the teens had dropped. Motive: Self-defense. Status: Turned over to District Attorney's Office.

39. Sept. 3. APD. David White, 7 weeks, was squeezed and shaken so hard at his family home at 2315 Cardenas Drive N.E. that he suffered three broken ribs, a swollen brain and later died. His father, Charles White, 48, is charged. Motive: Domestic. Status: Closed by arrest.

40. Sept. 9. BCSD. Earnest McCloud, in his 60s, was found in a watery ditch outside 1615 Barr Ave. S.W. Motive: Drug-related. Status: Open.

41. Sept. 10. APD. Raymond Green, 33, was shot and killed in the parking garage at 200 First St. S.W. in what police say was a decade-old vendetta for his role in killing a man in a bar fight. That man's brother, John Williams, 25, is charged in the retaliatory killing. Motive: Argument. Status: Closed by arrest.

42. Sept. 29. APD. Gregory Greenwalt, 38, was shot in the chest outside the Uptown Bar and Grill at 6601 Uptown Blvd. N.E. Marvin Gomez, 31, is charged. Motive: Argument. Status: Closed by arrest.

43. Oct. 17. APD. Adrian Ortega, 27, was found sitting against a fence in an alley near 11th Street and Kinley Avenue Northwest by a newspaper carrier. No obvious signs of homicide - stab or gunshot wounds - were noted. Motive: Unknown. Status: Open.

44. Nov. 23. BCSD. Jerome Hall, 42, had just won a $300,000 lawsuit against the city for being manhandled by Albuquerque police when he was found shot to death on Fourth Street north of Osuna Road Northwest. Motive: Unknown. Status: Open.

45. Nov. 25. APD. Ernest Gonzales, 27, was shot during what police say was a burglary attempt at a home at 704 Lamp Post Circle S.E. Kerry Herron, 64, told police he found Gonzales in his home and shot him. Motive: Self-defense. Status: Turned over to District Attorney's Office.

46. Dec. 2. Rio Rancho. Carl Busbee, 27, was reported missing by his family Dec. 2. His body was unearthed Dec. 7 in a vacant lot off Kent Road in Rio Rancho. Sergio Tena, 46, is charged with murder. Anna Sigala, 35, is charged with evidence tampering. Motive: Drug-related. Status: Closed by arrest.

47. Dec. 9. APD. Christopher Simmons, 25, was stabbed to death after a fight broke out at a gathering at an apartment at 1007 Marron Park Circle N.E. Police say Mike Socarro, 19, did the fatal stabbing. Also charged are Terroyl Smith, 18, and Hugo Chavez, 17. Motive: Gang-related. Status: Closed by arrest.

48. Dec. 14. BCSD. Christopher Mack, 23, was shot and killed apparently as he entered a home in the 300 block of La Madera Road in Sandia Park. Homeowner Danny Montoya, 27, told deputies he heard someone trying to break into his home. The man threatened the homeowner, and that's when a shot was fired. Motive: Self-defense. Status: Turned over to District Attorney's Office.

49. Dec. 15. APD. Alarick Martinez, 32, was stabbed to death during what police say was an argument over beer at 209 Alvarado Drive N.E. Leland Bahe, 30, who also wears women's clothing and uses the name Leann Shaniqua, is charged. Motive: Argument. Status: Closed by arrest.

50., 51. Dec. 17. APD. Shericka Hill, 19, was strangled to death, her hands bound in duct tape and most of her clothing gone, in a trailer at 4000 Blake Road S.W. Lorenzo Montoya, 39, who is believed to have killed her, was then shot to death by Hill's boyfriend, Fredrick Williams, 18, who police say shot in self-defense. The bizarre events began with a phone call during which Hill apparently agreed to perform a dance for Montoya. Motive: Sexualized violence in Hill's homicide; self-defense in Williams' death. Status: Turned over to District Attorney's Office.

52. Dec. 22. APD. Raymond Gabaldon,, 40, was shot and killed after police say he had broken into 617 Desert Drive S.W. The homeowner is believed to have fired in self-defense. Motive: Self-defense. Status: Turned over to District Attorney's Office.

53. Dec. 27. BCSD. Israel Garcia,, 15, was shot as he played football in the street near a home at 4535 Valley Garden Circle S.W. Witnesses say gunshots came from a car and that the neighborhood is under siege by gang members. Motive: Gang-related. Status: Open.