CRIME
Man accused of gunning down man during argument in South Valley
It is unclear what the fight was about
Published
A man has been arrested nearly two months after allegedly shooting his neighbor in Southwest Albuquerque.
Ramon Alcala Jr., 37, of Albuquerque is charged with an open count of murder and tampering with evidence. He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
According to court records, Alcala was arrested on Thursday. But it is unclear where law enforcement found him.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office identified Alcala through phone records, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.
At about 4:06 p.m. Dec. 19, deputies responded to a call of a shooting in the area of Second Street and Desert Road SW.
When they arrived, they found Michael Adams, 65, lying on the ground in the 6300 block of Camino Ocho, near Second and Desert, according to the complaint. First responders unsuccessfully attempted lifesaving measures on Adams, deputies said.
A witness told deputies he saw the driver and passenger of a pickup get into an argument before hearing two gunshots inside the truck, according to BCSO. The truck then sped southbound on Second toward Desert, the complaint states.
Another witness told deputies he saw an elderly man approach the truck before hearing multiple gunshots and jotting down the license plate number, deputies said.
On Dec. 23, deputies said they conducted a traffic stop on the truck and arrested Alcala's father, who said Alcala had told him Alcala "had gotten into some problems with the neighbor." The father also told deputies Alcala dropped the truck off at his sisters' house after the shooting, according to the complaint.
Deputies said phone records tracked Alcala to the area of the shooting before he turned the phone off.
On Jan. 2, detectives found video surveillance that showed Adams being shot before the truck drove away, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors filed a pretrial motion keeping Alcala behind bars, saying, "Shooting and killing someone from your vehicle, is extremely reckless and dangerous behavior that threatens the safety of the entire community."
Gregory R.C. Hasman is a general assignment reporter and the Road Warrior. He can be reached at ghasman@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3820.
