ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque police have arrested a man accused of participating in a deadly shooting outside a smoke shop along Central Avenue.
According to the Albuquerque Police Department, Charles Richards, 36, was taken into custody Tuesday in connection with the fatal shooting of a man late Monday near Central Avenue and Indiana Street.
Investigators say surveillance video showed Richards and several other men outside a smoke shop while the victim was inside the business. Police allege the group was targeting the victim over an unpaid debt and ultimately forced him out of the store against his will.
According to detectives, video evidence shows Richards, armed with a handgun, chasing the victim into the middle of Central Avenue. Within seconds, the victim was shot and killed.
Police said audio captured on surveillance footage suggested the confrontation was related to money the victim allegedly owed.
Detectives identified Richards through surveillance video and GPS data from an ankle monitor he was wearing at the time. Investigators say the location data placed Richards in the area of the shooting and matched his movements seen on video.
Richards was arrested late Tuesday and booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center.
He faces multiple charges, including:
- Open count of murder
- Conspiracy to commit murder
- Attempt to commit a felony (robbery)
- Kidnapping
- Conspiracy to commit kidnapping
- Tampering with evidence
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional arrests or charges may be possible.
