Two men accused of 2021 fatal shooting in International District

Two men were recently arrested after allegedly beating a man who had escaped from a trunk of a vehicle, then shooting him “8-10 times” in Northeast Albuquerque in 2021.

Christopher Tkach, 40, of Albuquerque is charged with an open count of murder, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence in the 2021 shooting death of Raymond Ortiz, Jr., 29.

Shamon Pacheco, 33, of Albuquerque is charged with an open count of murder, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Tkach and Pacheco are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center. Their attorneys could not be reached for comment. According to court records, a detention hearing for Tkach has been scheduled for Tuesday while Pacheco’s arraignment is slated for early December.

Prosecutors filed a motion to detain Tkach until trial, saying, “the victim was killed because he owed money for drugs, and according to the (informant), he had also stolen a firearm from one of his killers.

“There is no possible justification for the killing, except some ‘law of the jungle,’ which is not a legal basis and is not acceptable to the community,” according to the motion.

Police were able to identify Tkach through supermarket video surveillance and a witness, according to a criminal complaint filed at Metropolitan Court.

On June 20, 2021, the Albuquerque Police Department received a call of a man being chased on foot by two men and another person driving a vehicle in the area of Chico and Pennsylvania. The caller said two men were “hitting him and shooting” the victim before saying “they killed him,” police said.

A witness saw a car stop in the street and a man — later identified as Ortiz — jump out of the trunk and start running. Two men caught up with Ortiz, then hit him with a bat and punched him, the complaint states.

The witness told police she heard Ortiz “crying out to stop hitting him.” Later, one of the men — later identified as Pacheco — took out a handgun and gave it to another man — later identified as Tkach — who reportedly shot Ortiz, Jr. multiple times. The men then ran north, police said.

The Office of the Medical Investigator said Ortiz had been shot “8-10 times,” including once in the head, the complaint states.

The case ran cold until Sept. 9, when detectives spoke with a friend of Ortiz at a hearing for an unrelated case. The friend told police two people known as “Stunner” and “Smokey” — later identified as Pacheco and Tkach, respectively — admitted to kidnapping, beating and killing Ortiz. Ortiz had reportedly stole a “handgun and money or dope” at Pacheco’s house, police said they were told.

The friend identified the suspects in a photo, the complaint states.

According to an online memorial, Ortiz, Jr. was “the most loving person one could meet.”