APD: 15-year-old arrested for SW Albuquerque park homicide

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A 15-year-old male was arrested Friday as a suspect in a February homicide at a southwest Albuquerque park.

Michael Salinas, Jr. was charged with the Feb. 26 murder of 19-year-old Vincent Phuc Loc Le at Westgate Community Park. Salinas was at his South Valley home Friday morning before he was taken into custody.

Salinas is accused of setting up a fight with another person at the park following a high school basketball game. As a vehicle with four people inside approached the park, Salinas exited his Mustang and fired 17 shots at the other vehicle – killing Le and injuring three others inside the car.

Someone in the car reportedly also fired 13 shots back at Salinas, according to police.

During a Volcano Vista High School game earlier in the night, witnesses say Salinas was approached by occupants of the victim’s car. Detectives learned they had an ongoing conflict with Salinas and they agreed to meet him at the park.

Social media and phone records and APD’s Shotspotter data corroborated with the details, which led to Salinas’s arrest Friday.

Salinas is charged with an open count of murder. According to APD, he was booked Friday into Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center.