Española man accused of trying to shoot roommates over rent dispute

An Española man is accused of trying to kill a man and his girlfriend over a rent dispute.

Christopher Chacon, 39, was charged Monday with two counts of attempted murder in the case. His attorney declined to comment on the case.

Deputies with the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched on Monday around 3:30 p.m. to a home in the 1500 block of Valdez Drive in Española after receiving reports of shots fired, according to a criminal complaint filed in Magistrate Court.

The caller told officers that a man had just shot at him and two other people in the residence with a handgun before fleeing, the complaint states. Less than 20 minutes later, an officer with the Española Police Department called to report that he had arrested Chacon near the home.

One hour later, deputies spoke with the 911 caller, who told them he recently allowed Chacon and his girlfriend to live at his house, according to the complaint. He said he spoke with Chacon around 10 a.m. about paying rent and the conversation made Chacon angry.

Chacon accused the man of stealing his wallet, which he said had $2,000 in it, before he began cursing and screaming at the man and his girlfriend, the complaint states.

“He then stormed off to his room where he went and grabbed his pistol,” according to the complaint.

Chacon pointed his gun at the man and his girlfriend and threatened to kill the man, deputies said. Chacon then fired the gun into an unoccupied room.

“Chacon continued to make threats demanding that they leave the residence, further claiming that the house was now his and to consider it as payment for (the man) allegedly stealing his wallet,” the complaint states.

The man and his girlfriend gathered some belongings, including their dog, and went to stay at a friend’s house in the hopes that Chacon would calm down, according to the complaint.

When asked why the man did not call police sooner, he told deputies that he did not want police involved. The man and his girlfriend returned to the house around 3:30 p.m., which angered Chacon more, the complaint states.

Chacon walked up to the man’s vehicle and threw a rock at the window, deputies said. Chacon pulled a gun from his waistband and fired two shots at the couple as they drove away.

The couple drove a quarter mile before calling 911 and hid in nearby bushes while they waited for authorities, according to the complaint.