Couple charged in fatal shooting
Incident occurred during custody exchange outside Lotaburger in S. Valley
Deputies arrested a man who allegedly shot the father of his girlfriend’s child during a custody exchange Tuesday evening outside a Blake’s Lotaburger in the South Valley.
Christopher Rodriguez, 24, is charged with an open count of murder, child abuse and tampering with evidence in the death of 33-year-old Tristan Isaacs.
Rodriguez has been booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center. It is unclear if he has an attorney.
The mother of Isaacs’ daughter, Brittany Sena, 24, is charged with child abuse and tampering with evidence as the child was present for the shooting and the couple showered and went to bed afterward.
Rodriguez, at the age of 17, spent several months behind bars in the drive-by shooting that killed Isaiah Albright, 14, in 2015. The case was dismissed when his relative was identified as the shooter.
Less than two weeks ago Rodriguez pleaded guilty to distribution of LSD and marijuana in a 2020 drug-related gunfight in which he shot a man twice.
Prosecutors cited Rodriguez’s criminal history in a pretrial detention motion following Isaacs’ death, alleging Rodriguez “has proven himself to be a dangerous person multiple times.”
“His violent behavior has escalated to the point that he has killed someone,” according to the motion.
A GoFundMe for Isaacs’ funeral costs described him as a brother, son, friend and father. The GoFundMe states, “If you knew Tristan you knew that he was there for anyone he called his friend and had a bright energy he took wherever he went.”
It was around 7 p.m. when Bernalillo County deputies responded to the homicide outside the Blake’s Lotaburger on Coors SW near Arenal, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. They found Isaacs fatally shot outside his Jeep with a gun in his hand and bullet casings nearby.
Deputies said Isaacs’ mother told them he had gone to make a custody exchange with Sena, who was dating Rodriguez. She said Isaacs recently filed for emergency custody after Rodriguez allegedly committed a drive-by shooting on Sena’s home while their daughter was inside.
Deputies called Rodriguez and requested a welfare check on the
child and met he and Sena at a Walgreens, according to the complaint. The couple were detained and the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department were called to assist with the child “pending the investigation.”
Deputies said the child, between 2 and 3 years old, told them she knew her father had been hurt and she wanted to put bandages on his injuries. Rodriguez told deputies he was not in the area where the shooting occurred.
Sena told deputies Isaacs and Rodriguez got into an altercation outside the Blake’s Lotaburger and “she heard gunshots” as she put their child in the car, according to the complaint. She said she didn’t see what happened “but ultimately realized that (Rodriguez) shot (Isaacs).”
Deputies said Sena “explained she did not want (her daughter) taken from her and was crying as she spoke to me about this.”