Man accused of vandalizing Bernalillo County headquarters makes first court appearance

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Albuquerque man who reportedly shot out multiple windows at Bernalillo County headquarters will remain in jail for now.

Noah Tapia appeared before a judge for the first time Thursday. Prosecutors filed a motion to keep the 22-year-old behind bars.

He faces multiple charges including felony criminal damage to property and shooting at a dwelling or occupied building. BCSO accuses him of causing close to $45,000 worth of damage at the new Bernalillo County @ Alvarado Square building.

County officials tell us security guards were inside the building when the shooting happened, and could have easily been hurt or killed.

The day before that incident, BCSO said several tips tied Tapia to a video online. It shows a man hanging outside of a car, holding what appears to be an assault rifle in the downtown area.

According to the arrest warrant, detectives found additional photos on Tapia’s Facebook of him, “holding firearms, standing on the top floor of the parking garage where shots were fired toward the county building."

The state asked that Tapia stay in jail ahead of his trial, saying his actions clearly show he has no concern for the safety of others. Tapia turned himself in Wednesday. On Thursday, a judge approved the state’s motion for pretrial detention in his case.

Tapia will be held without bond until his pretrial detention hearing at the district court. That is expected to happen in the next week.