ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Police arrested multiple suspects accused of separate murders that have happened over the last two months in Albuquerque.

Detectives on July 2 arrested Deluvino Salazar for killing Samuel Chavez-Aquiar outside of a smoke shop on Central. This happened June 9, around 9:30 p.m., near the Rags 2 Riches smoke shop.

Surveillance video reportedly showed Chavez-Aquiar with two people in the parking lot just before the shooting. He appeared to talk with someone leaning out of the passenger side of a Cadillac SUV as the SUV drove northbound on Utah. As the SUV stopped and reversed, Chavez-Aquiar walked backward around a parked vehicle and then pulled out a gun right as that passenger pointed a firearm toward him.

The reported standoff continued as Chavez-Aquiar moved closer to the business. Then, as he appeared to start raising his gun toward the SUV, he appeared to lower his arms and fall down, which is when the shooting likely happened.

Police found Chavez-Aquiar with a single gunshot wound. They tried life-saving measures on him and first responders took him to the hospital where he later died.

Detectives used surveillance video and video from multiple ART bus stations to track down that SUV. They identified Salazar as the owner and driver of the SUV.

Salazar is now in Metro Detention Center on charges of murder, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy.

UPDATE (JULY 12, 2024): Police also arrested Salvador Gutierrez. Gutierrez is accused of shooting and killing Chavez-Aquiar. He faces charges of murder, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, felon in possession of a firearm, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy.

Police on July 2 also arrested 18-year-old Gabriel Guerrero. They accuse him of killing Nathaniel Besel on Albuquerque’s West Side back on May 25.

Guerrero faces charges of murder and tampering with evidence.

Police say a silver Honda Accord struck Besel at a high rate of speed. This happened as Besel stood near in the apartment complex parking lot near his place on the 2300 block of Diamond Mesa Trail S.W.

Before the crash happened, police say Besel was in his garage when he thought he smelled fentanyl smoke from a neighboring apartment. He confronted his neighbors who denied smoking. Then, they reportedly made derogatory comments and threatened each other before leaving.

Besel said he was jumped by three people, whom he said had a silver Honda Accord and an orange Dodge. He also found a cell phone on the ground and took it back to his apartment.

Besel’s boyfriend allegedly told detectives that Besel walked from the apartment to look for the people who attacked him. At the same time, his neighbors reportedly confronted his boyfriend. He said they were trying to get the phone back.

As Besel was going back to his apartment, a silver Honda Accord struck him. He died at the scene.

Detectives executed a search warrant on the phone. They reportedly found it belonged to one of the neighbors involved in the confrontation. On the phone, they found photos of Besel’s front door and address and his vehicle.

Witnesses reportedly told police that an orange Dodge and a silver Honda were circling the complex.

Detectives determined Guerrero owned the silver Honda. They also determined he was the boyfriend of one of the people living in the apartment next door to Besel.

Detectives say they found the silver Honda and determined it was the same vehicle in the murder and that there were changes made to alter the appearance of it.

Guerrero is now behind bars in Metro Detention Center.