Albuquerque neighborhood on edge after multiple shootings at homes, vehicles

UPDATE: The neighbor accused of shooting at homes has been arrested and charged.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A couple says they’re holding their 1-year-old son extra close Monday night after a shooting at their home came dangerously close to what they cherish most. But they’re not the only family in the neighborhood near Juan Tabo and Spain northeast that are on edge.

KOB 4 found out neighbors have serious concerns about several shootings over the past few months.

“There’s here, then there’s a bullet hole here,” said Ethan Grant, an Albuquerque resident. 

After a family outing on Monday morning, Ethan and Melia Grant discovered their car, garage and even the room of their son, had been shot up with pellets from an air soft-type gun while they were away. 

“If he was in that room then it would have, it would have hit him,” said Ethan. 

The Grants say this is not the first time this has happened at their northeast heights home. Ethan says someone recently shot at him while he was inside his car, just driving to get groceries for his family.

“They shot at our driver-side door, and if it was like inches over, it would have hit me in the side,” said Ethan. 

They said they do not believe this was a drive-by. 

In a Ring camera clip, from someone living a couple houses down from the Grants, people can hear what appears to be gun shots at 10:20 a.m., and again at 10:45 a.m. – about an hour before the Grants got home.

They also say they’re not the first family in this neighborhood to have this problem. 

“We’ve connected with all these other neighbors and realize that this is something that’s happening to everyone,” said Grant. 

Families spoke to KOB 4:

“Our house was shot in November, we came home to find three rounds through our bedroom window and two rounds through our living room window. And later, we found one round through our bathroom into an office,” said Caitlin Bourgoin. “We’ve had quite a few experiences with this.”

“We have a neighborhood full of families, and we’re all terrified,” said Holly Hargrove. 

Holly Hargrove was from a story KOB 4 did in November. She and her boyfriend had to cut their Thanksgiving trip from Mexico short, after their home was shot, and their car totaled.

“We didn’t know that there was a pattern emerging. But since you’ve been here, obviously this poor family has been another victim – very scary. Shots into their children’s rooms just like our house,” said Hargrove. 

Everyone KOB 4 spoke with believes the potential suspect is one of their own neighbors. They remain on high alert, taking extra precautions to keep themselves safe.

“We’re gonna be staying in my parents tonight. If we do stay at our house, our son will be sleeping like in our bedroom with us,” said Melia. “We haven’t been able to go for walks like we used to, we don’t feel safe, like even being in our kitchen anymore, because of what this neighbor has done. It’s just frustrating because the police aren’t able to do anything about it at this point.”

KOB 4 did hear back from APD representative Monday night. They say officers have had contact with the neighbor these folks are concerned about, but no charges have been filed.

APD says they have increased patrols in the neighborhood and are now looking to get crisis intervention involved.

While KOB 4 was out in the neighborhood Monday night, crews saw at least a handful of homes with damage.