A woman has been arrested, and a man is being sought in a murder in New Mexico. (Crime scene screenshot from Albuquerque, New Mexico’s CBS/Fox affiliate KRQE/YouTube; Mugshot from Albuquerque Police Department)
Police were seeking a murder suspect who was seen putting on brass knuckles and following a man into a New Mexico motel room, emerging 30 minutes later covered hand to elbow in blood while a 38-year-old woman, also seen leaving the room, was arrested in the killing.
The unidentified murder victim was found at a downtown Albuquerque Days Inn around 5 p.m. on Tuesday after police got a call about a body found in a room, police said. A blood trail led from the motel room to the street about 100 feet away, police said in a news release. Police did not identify the victim until they could find family members to notify them of his death. Police gave no description of the victim nor of the suspect being sought.
The Albuquerque Journal, citing a criminal complaint, reported that police found the man dead in a pool of blood on the floor. He had cuts to the back of his head and a wound to the shoulder, the paper reported. Police found blood on both beds. Investigators said they found bloody footprints on the ground outside the room, the Journal reported.
The female suspect, identified as Angel Salazar, was tracked down near another hotel, less than a mile from the murder scene. She was seen with the male suspect approaching the victim at the motel around 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, police said. They approached the victim, who was sitting and smoking outside the motel room, and followed him inside the motel room.
Police said that after about 30 minutes in the room, the two suspects walked out.
“A significant amount of blood can be observed covering the male’s left arm from his hand to his elbow,” police said in the news release. “The female exits the room immediately behind the male. The female’s right hand is covered in blood.”
After officers detained Salazar, she requested medical treatment for fentanyl withdrawal and a cut to her finger, authorities said. Detectives tried to interview her, but she declined to make any statements, officials said.
She was being held without bail at the Metro Detention Center on an open count of murder, conspiracy and tampering with evidence, online jail booking records show. It was unclear whether she had an attorney.
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Angel Salazar arrested in murder, second suspect sought