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Albuquerque police fatally shot armed woman at Central hotel near Interstate 25
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Albuquerque police fatally shot a woman who allegedly disarmed a security guard and fired at officers outside an East Downtown hotel early Tuesday morning — the second shooting involving the department in three days.
Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina said in a briefing Tuesday that officers initially responded to a woman in the midst of a mental health crisis who was breaking items outside the Hotel Parq Central on Central, just west of Interstate 25. APD identified the woman killed as Desiree Herrera, 36.
The shooting came two days after APD officers shot and injured Gabriel Moralez, 23, of Albuquerque. Moralez, who survived his injuries, is charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.
On Sunday afternoon, Moralez allegedly robbed a Northwest Albuquerque convenience store, stealing $140 in cash and cigarettes, before being shot by officers when police say he pulled out a gun during a foot chase.
Tuesday’s shooting marked the eighth by Albuquerque police this year. Six of those have been fatal.
About 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, a Hotel Parq Central employee called police about Herrera — who was dealing with a mental health crisis — that staff wanted removed from the hotel, Medina said.
About 45 minutes later, a hotel employee called APD and said Herrera broke items and had armed herself with glass, he said. As officers were en route, Herrera took a security guard’s firearm and started threatening people, Medina said.
When officers arrived at the hotel, an SUV had been hit by a bullet, and Herrera was shooting in the parking lot, he said. Medina added, “Officers showed great restraint as the female continued to discharge the firearm.”
Officers ordered Herrera to drop the firearm when she shot an SUV in front of them, causing “more than one officer” to fatally shoot Herrera, he said.
No officers were injured, Medina said.
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The Multi-Agency Task Force is investigating the incident.
