Albuquerque teen accused of killing mother’s boyfriend

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Police have arrested 17-year-old Ruben Benavidez, who is accused of killing his mom’s boyfriend.

It started Saturday afternoon when police say Ramon Benavidez knocked on Cedric Garcia’s apartment door in downtown Albuquerque.

Garcia wouldn’t answer the door and that’s when Ramon’s 17-year-old son – Ruben – walked up the sidewalk. Garcia’s Ring camera captured the moment Ruben kicks the apartment door multiple times.  

Garcia walks outside and gets into a heated argument with the teen, then it appears Garcia spits on the 17-year-old, who then fires two shots – without taking the gun out of his hoodie pocket. 

The father and son calmly walk back to their vehicle and drive off. When police arrived to the apartment, Garcia was dead.  

On Sunday, KOB 4 learned the Benavidez family was at Garcia’s looking for Ruben’s mom. She was dating Garcia and was able to identify both her son and his father to the police. 

Police arrested the teen at his Northeast Heights apartment. His father told them they were trying to ask his son’s mother to come home and to stop getting high on fentanyl with Garcia. He claims they were mad because her children hadn’t seen her in more than a week. 

“The drug has been involved in everything from officer-involved shootings all the way down through traffic violations and traffic accidents. The biggest group of individuals that are being affected that we’re seeing arrested are 18 to 25-year-olds,” said APD Chief Harold Medina. 

Ruben Benavidez now faces first-degree murder and tampering with evidence charges. 

Garcia’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to cover funeral expenses.