Suspect arrested after fatal stabbing
Police call him a suspect in 2023 shooting who was free on pretrial release
An Albuquerque man was arrested Sunday after a fatal stabbing in Southeast Albuquerque, according to police.
Juan Carlos Garcia, 24, of Albuquerque is being charged with an open count of murder in the April 7 death of Luis Romero, which Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said occurred after a confrontation over $300.
Garcia is being held inside the Metropolitan Detention Center. It is unclear who his attorney is.
Gallegos said Garcia, a Colombia native, is also a suspect in a shooting in Southeast Albuquerque on Sept. 15, but he was out of jail on pretrial release.
Police were able to identify Garcia through the department’s database, witnesses and video, according to a criminal complaint filed at Metropolitan Court.
On April 7, officers responded to a call of a homicide in the 12800 block of Dorado, near Dunes.
According to the criminal complaint, when police arrived, they saw a trail of blood leading to an apartment. Inside the apartment, officers saw blood on a kitchen knife and in the living room.
The complaint states that officers received a call from Presbyterian Kaseman Hospital informing them that the victim — later identified as Romero — had been dropped off, and the man who brought the victim got into another vehicle and left. Romero died at the hospital.
According to police, a witness told a detective Garcia called him and said he stabbed “El Chino” because “it was believed” Romero stole $300 from him on April 5.
The complaint states that Romero later confronted Garcia. A man known as “El Mono” separated the two when Garcia went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and stabbed Romero. Garcia then told the witness that Garcia and “El Mono” put Romero into a vehicle, which was driven to the hospital before Garcia got into another vehicle.
According to police, officers stopped the second vehicle and interviewed the three people, who were later released.