ABQ driver faces wrongful death suit

Witness says man in Hummer ran down men he thought were burglars

The Albuquerque man accused of running down and killing a person who he believed had taken his stereo is now named in a civil wrongful death lawsuit involving the same incident.

Christopher Pino, 51, was indicted Monday on charges including second-degree murder, leaving the scene of a crash and aggravated assault. Police say Pino saw two men carrying a stereo he thought was his and hit one of them with his Hummer near Solano and Silver. Daniel Arballo died later in a local hospital.

Last week, an attorney acting as the personal representative of Arballo’s estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Pino. The lawsuit seeks damages and other relief.

“Christopher Pino should be punished for his disregard for the life and safety of people in New Mexico,” the lawsuit filed in state District Court in Santa Fe argues. It is not clear who is representing him in the civil case.

According to a criminal complaint, a witness described watching the Hummer hit one person, sending him “flying” before reversing and going after the second person. The driver, the witness told police, was shouting threats.

“You’re going to be killed, I’m going to kill you, you stole from me,” the witness, a security guard at a nearby business, said describing what he heard.

Pino told police he only wanted to “knock” the men down so that he could detain them until police arrived.

He said he’s been dealing with property crime, and wanted the men arrested to “send a message to others to leave the property alone.”