ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Albuquerque Police Department has arrested a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of a man at a southeast Albuquerque storage facility earlier this month.
Police say 38-year-old Epifanio Torres III was taken into custody in Texas and is facing charges in the death of Mark Staake, who was found shot and killed on October 22, 2026.
According to investigators, officers responded around 10:40 a.m. to reports of a shooting at a storage facility along Central Avenue Southeast. When officers arrived, they found Staake dead inside a recreational vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds.
Witnesses told police they saw a man carrying a rifle leave the area in a gold 2003 Honda Pilot belonging to the victim. The vehicle was later entered into a national law enforcement database as stolen.
During the investigation, homicide detectives identified Torres as a suspect. Police said surveillance footage showed Torres with Staake on October 21 while purchasing archery equipment. Investigators also obtained video showing Torres driving the victim’s Honda Pilot around the time of the shooting.
Later that night, deputies with the Ward County Sheriff’s Office in Texas located the stolen vehicle after license plate readers detected it in Sierra Blanca, Texas. Torres was taken into custody at approximately 10:15 p.m.
Authorities say a search warrant executed on the SUV led to the discovery of blood evidence, a Ruger .223 rifle wrapped in a towel, a fully loaded magazine and spent shell casings matching the caliber used in the shooting.
An arrest warrant charges Torres with:
- Open Count of Murder
- Armed Robbery
- Tampering with Evidence
- Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
Torres is expected to be extradited to New Mexico to face the charges.
The investigation remains ongoing.
