SUBSCRIBE |   | Why we charge
about Albuquerque, New Mexico     Contact Us
 
 

 
 
Home  |  News  |  Schools  |  Sports  |  Biz  |  Opinion  |  Health  |  Scitech |  Arts&Entertainment  |  Dining  |  Movies  |  Outdoors  |  Weather Enhanced Classifieds: NM Jobs Cars Real Estate  
 
Home arrow ABQnewseeker arrow News arrow ABQNewsSeeker Archives arrow 10:15am -- Killing Suspect Named
10:15am -- Killing Suspect Named PDF Print E-mail

permalink    

Written by Bruce Daniels - ABQnewsSeeker   
last updated Wednesday, March 22, 2006, at 12:35:03

Here's more information on deputy's shooting and suspect.


The manhunt for a suspect in this morning's shooting death of a still-unnamed Bernalillo County sheriff's deputy has narrowed to Michael Paul Astorga, 29, of Albuquerque, Sheriff Darren White announced.

Astorga is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall, 160 pounds, with a medium build, a brown-eyed brown-haired Hispanic male, with tattoos and a mustache and goatee. He is driving a single-cab faded gold-colored Dodge pickup with the words "Turbo Diesel" printed on the side and the New Mexico license plate 459-CDS, the sheriff's department reported.

Astorga is wanted in the Nov. 5, 2005, shooting death of 27-year-old Candido Ray Martinez Jr., who was shot in the head after an argument with Astorga in the 2300 block of Commercial NE. Astorga has been at large ever since.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 immediately.

"We believe Michael Astorga is desperate, on the run and very unpredictable. He's armed and extremely dangerous," the sheriff said.

We're not going to leave a single rock unturned until we find Michael Paul Astorga. He is a cold-blooded killer," said White. "We want to get him in custody before someone else gets hurt."


9:15am UPDATE: The identity of the Bernalillo County sheriff's deputy who was shot to death around 12:45 a.m. today during what looked like a routine traffic stop at N.M. 337 (Old South Hwy. 14) and Old Highway 66 in Tijeras should be released some time this afternoon, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Erin Kinnard tells ABQjournal.com.


5:50am -- Deputy Killed: Light-colored pickup sought in Tijeras shooting.

Hundreds of lawmen, including sheriff's deputies, the Albuquerque Police Department and the New Mexico State Police are joined in the search for a light-colored 1991 Dodge pickup truck with New Mexico license plate 459-CDS.

"Every resource we have at our disposal" is engaged in searching for the suspect or suspects, Kinnard said.

The deputy called in the license number before getting out of the car -- as is the normal practice, Kinnard said -- before what appeared to be a routine traffic stop turned into tragedy.


Bernalillo County sheriff's deputies are on the scene at South Highway 14 just off Interstate 40 in Tijeras where a deputy was shot to death around 1 this morning, according to radio and television reports.

The deputy apparently was making a routine traffic stop when, according to some neighbors, there were two shots, and the deputy -- whose name hasn't been released yet -- was found dead by the time backup arrived, according to a report on KKOB Radio.

The suspect fled in what is being described as a white or light-colored 1991 Dodge pickup with New Mexico license plate 459-CDS.

South Highway 14 is closed at this hour, and East Mountain schools are on a two-hour delay because of the investigation, KKOB reports. However, Manzano High School is on its regular schedule.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office tip line at 768-4395.

We'll bring you new details as they become available.

6:40am UPDATE: Here's the latest on this morning's shooting from The Associated Press.

Comment on this article
Send your comments to ABQjournal (Show/Hide Form)


Your Name:

Your Email Address:

Rate this article:
Poor Great

Comment:
BOLD "QUOTE" UNDERLINE




Other Visitors Comments
There are no comments approved to share, thanks for your comments ....
< Previous story   Next >
 
< Previous story   Next >








 


If you have your own question about the news that you'd like to see answered by an AP journalist, send it to newsquestions@ap.org, with "Ask AP" in the subject line. Visit the ASK ap web site.