Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) – 30-year-old Markel Pinto was arrested Monday afternoon in connection with a murder tha happend at an apartment complex in West Albuquerque overnight.
APD reports that Pinto and the victim 35-year-old Nico Taylor both lived in separate apartments at the Volcanes Commons complex located in the 6900 block of Glenrio NW.
Pinto, turned himself in to officers today and admitted to fatally shooting Taylor.
Initial reports indicate officers responded to calls of a shooting on Sunday, around 11:30 p.m. On arrival, officers found Taylor on the ground near an apartment with a gunshot wound to the torso. Officers attempted first-aid, but Taylor died on the scene as a result of the wound.
Surveillance video from a nearby apartment showed Pinto walking aggressively with a handgun toward the area of the complex where Taylor’s body was located. The video showed Pinto yelling toward the area where the victim was found.
After the shooting, Pinto contacted police to report his involvement in Taylor’s death. Detectives interviewed Pinto Monday afternoon and he claimed he shot Taylor in self-defense. He also admitted that Taylor never had a weapon and his statements conflicted with the surveillance video.
Pinto said he and Taylor, had been hanging out and went to buy marijuana together before the shooting. He said they were both Native American and got into an argument about their different perspectives of Native American culture.
APD detectives located the handgun used in the murder at Pinto’s apartment.
Pinto is charged with an open count of murder and tampering with evidence. He will be booked into the Metro Detention Center.
