Man faces first-degree murder charge in shooting
Owens pleads not guilty, will remain in jail without bond
Christopher Owens, who detectives say killed a Santa Fe man after an argument over a song, will remain in jail without bond, a judge ruled Monday.
Owens, 30, faces felony charges of first-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm and tampering with evidence in connection with the shooting death of Tim Baca early Saturday morning after they and others had been drinking at bars in Santa Fe and Pojoaque.
According to federal court documents, Owens’ felony record stems from his 2007 guilty pleas to trafficking cocaine in Santa Fe County and to carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime.
A criminal complaint says Baca, 30, and his wife, Lapearl, were celebrating her birthday at the downtown nightclub Skylight when they met Owens and a friend of Owens. The group went to Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino for a while and on their way back to Santa Fe, Baca and Owens got into an argument.
Lapearl Baca told police that Owens threatened to shoot her husband and called her names. A criminal complaint says Owens’ friend pulled the car over near Calle Mejia, in a northwest Santa Fe neighborhood off St. Francis Drive, where Tim Baca and Owens exited the
car and got into a shoving match before Owens shot Baca in the chest.
According to a witness at the scene, Owens yelled “I’m done, I’m done, I’m going to prison for life,” then ran away.
Police told The New Mexican that Tim Baca, a father of four, was dead when they arrived at the scene around 3:40 a.m.
After the shooting, police issued a reverse 911 call advising nearby residents to stay inside their homes while officers pursued the suspect.
Officers found Owens at his home near the Towa Golf Course in Pojoaque on Saturday afternoon, according to police documents. A search warrant says investigators seized a dozen cellphones and tablet computers from the house, but did not recover a weapon.
On Monday, Owens answered to five charges in court. In addition to three felony counts stemming
from Saturday’s shooting, Owens faces two misdemeanor charges from April: driving with a suspended license and driving without proof of insurance.
He pleaded not guilty and waived his right to an attorney until Santa Fe County Judge Donita Sena convinced him that a lawyer might be in his best interest.
“Oh, you think I should get one?” Owens asked Sena. “Yes, your honor.”
Owens did ask for representation from a public defender for the three felony charges.
A preliminary hearing is set for June 28 in front of Magistrate George Anaya Jr.