Woman arrested in connection with fatal West Side stabbing

Albuquerque police have charged a woman in connection with a fatal stabbing Friday night on the West Side.

Ashlynn Battle, 20, was arrested on an open count of murder following a domestic dispute in which Reina Aragon, 18, was killed, the Albuquerque Police Department said.

The stabbing occurred after Battle said she saw Aragon damaging the windshield of her boyfriend Jason Clifford’s pickup truck and the two got into a confrontation, the criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court said.

The complaint also states that Battle and Aragon had issues in the past, noting that Clifford and Aragon had a romantic relationship at one point.

Battle told investigators in an interview that after she stabbed Aragon, she got back up and continued to “verbally assault” her and Clifford. She told investigators that Clifford proceeded to smash the windows of Aragon’s car.

Officers responded to the Sandia Village apartments in the 5100 block of Prospector NW, near McMahon, following a 911 call at 11:15 p.m. Friday. Police learned a friend drove Aragon to Lovelace Westside Hospital, where she died.

Before the stabbing, Battle and Clifford went to the Burger King where Clifford and his roommate worked, suspecting the roommate had a romantic relationship with Aragon.

After seeing the two get into a vehicle together, Clifford confronted the roommate, and a skirmish ensued. Afterward, Clifford told investigators he packed up his roommate’s belongings and told him to come pick them up, then walked outside and noticed the tires of his truck were slashed.

Clifford and Battle suspected Aragon or the roommate and searched for the two to ask for money to cover the damages or to seek revenge, according to the complaint. The couple said they returned to the apartments and saw Aragon damaging Clifford’s truck.

Battle told detectives she had put a folding knife in her pocket before arriving at the apartments, according to the complaint. She said once Aragon approached her passenger’s side door, she opened it and Aragon tried to hit her. “She stated that Reina continued to come towards her,” and that was when she stabbed her, the complaint said, adding that Battle also told investigators that Aragon wasn’t armed.

Police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said they may pursue charges for Clifford’s role in the incident at a later date.