Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include details recently obtained from Joshua Montaño’s resignation letter. When officer Joshua Montaño was put on administrative leave after the news broke on Jan. 18 that the FBI was investigating him, his colleagues in the DWI unit and a local defense attorney, he said he thought he’d […]
Category: Courts, Justice & Safety
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
ACLU demands independent investigation into officer-involved killing of unarmed woman
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico is calling for a transparent and thorough investigation into the death of an unarmed woman at the hands of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). According to the Albuquerque Journal, the woman was killed in Northeast Albuquerque where she was hiding from police in a backyard shed. […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, National News
Supreme Court opens new frontier for insurrection claims that could target state and local officials
By MORGAN LEE and NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Two recent U.S. Supreme Court actions have opened the door to a new legal frontier in which local and state officials can be disqualified from office for life for engaging in “insurrection” or providing “aid and comfort” to enemies of the Constitution, […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Guilty: Muhammad Syed convicted in first of three trials for Albuquerque’s Muslim homicides
On Monday morning, after just under two hours of deliberation, a jury found Muhammad Syed guilty of first-degree murder in the first of three trials where he was accused of gunning down Muslim men. Syed, an Afghan refugee, is facing a mandatory life sentence for killing Aftab Hussein. The trial lasted four days in the […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Life continues for family of man accused in Albuquerque’s Muslim murders
In the year and a half since Muhammad Syed was arrested and charged in the fatal shootings of three Muslim men, his family — refugees from Afghanistan — has remained in Albuquerque. One of his children got divorced. Another enrolled in community college to study to be a dental hygienist after pleading guilty to a […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Downtown, Housing & Homelessness
Business owner, deputy commander talk crime in Albuquerque’s Downtown
Editor’s note: This is the fourth installment in a series titled Downtown Albuquerque Reboot, about the city’s center, its challenges and the plans to address them. Read about why the area matters here, about vacant buildings here, peruse a photo essay about lowriders here, and end with what the area has to offer here. On […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Fourth APD officer resigns while under investigation in DWI corruption case
A fourth Albuquerque Police Department officer has resigned rather than be interviewed as part of an internal investigation into allegations of misconduct by DWI officers. Nelson Ortiz resigned Thursday, according to a news release. “Investigators were attempting to schedule an interview with Ortiz, but he decided to resign,” the release states. Ortiz, who joined APD […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Third APD officer under investigation in DWI corruption probe resigns
A third officer under investigation for corruption within the Albuquerque Police Department’s DWI unit has resigned before being interviewed by internal investigators. Harvey Johnson resigned on Wednesday. Gilbert Gallegos, an APD spokesperson, said he was scheduled to be interviewed for the internal investigation today. Johnson is one of six APD officers who were put on […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Death of adult film star in Albuquerque gets national, international attention
Twelve days ago, local homicide detectives were called to a Northeast Albuquerque apartment complex to investigate a woman’s death after she was found “unresponsive” by her family. Now it’s been more than a week and her death has been reported by national — and even international — outlets, including the New York Post, The Daily […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Muslim community reflects as first trial in spate of killings begins
As Muslims began their Ramadan fasts on Monday, Muhammad Syed — an Afghan refugee who came to Albuquerque in 2016 — prepared to face a jury on one count of murder in the 2022 slaying of a fellow Muslim, Aftab Hussein. It is the first of three trials in a case that shook Albuquerque’s Muslim […]