Taos man accused of shooting girlfriend and her ex-husband during altercation

A Taos man is accused of killing his girlfriend’s ex-husband and wounding his girlfriend in a spray of bullets Wednesday afternoon.

Eduardo Castañeda Jr., 35, is charged with an open count of murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in the shooting, which left 45-year-old Antonio Gomez dead.

Castañeda is also charged with four counts of child abuse, as the children shared by his ex-girlfriend and Gomez were inside the home and in the line of fire.

New Mexico State Police said Castañeda turned himself in on Wednesday night, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Taos Magistrate Court. He told police that Gomez attacked him first and he shot him in self-defense, accidentally shooting his girlfriend in the arm.

The Taos County Sheriff’s Office responded around 2:30 p.m. to a shooting in the 200 block of Espinoza, just east of N.M. 518. Deputies found Gomez dead and the girlfriend wounded.

The New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department removed four children from the home and they were later placed with their grandmother, according to the affidavit. State Police took over the homicide investigation.

Police said the girlfriend told them she had asked Gomez for help fixing her car when Castañeda found out and told her, “He better not be there.” The girlfriend said she was in the vehicle when she heard “a commotion” and looked up to see the two men fighting.

The girlfriend told police Castañeda said, “Come get some,” before firing more than a dozen rounds at Gomez, hitting her in the arm and pockmarking the car with bullet holes, according to the affidavit. Around 5 p.m., Castañeda’s sister called 911 and told police her brother said he “committed a crime and needed help.”

Police said after turning himself in, Castañeda told them he became concerned when his girlfriend didn’t answer her phone and he found her and Gomez at their house. He told police Gomez instigated the fight by pushing him and a scuffle ensued.

Castañeda told police he saw “a silver object” in Gomez’s hand and he pulled out a gun and shot him until the magazine on his handgun was empty, the affidavit states. He said shooting his girlfriend was an accident and “was adamant he loved (her) and never intended on hurting her.”

Police said Castañeda told them he was protecting the girlfriend and children from Gomez.

“I asked (Castañeda) how he felt knowing he wanted to protect the children however had fired multiple rounds in the direction of the residence the children were occupying,” an officer wrote in the affidavit. Castañeda replied, “he was accountable for every round he fired” but was aiming at Gomez.