Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022
ALBUQUERQUE – APD detectives arrested 18-year-old Rodolfo Villalobos Lopez on Monday and charged him for the May 20, 2022, murder of Rene Castillo.
Lopez is accused of fatally shooting Castillo at a parking lot in the area of 710 Dan Ave. SE, near the Health and Social Center and the Dennis Chavez Community Center.
Officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation on May 20 around at 2:11 pm Several people also called 911 to report the gunshots in the area. A short time later, a male individual called 911 to report that his friend, later identified as Castillo, had been shot. The caller said he was transporting Castillo to the hospital.
Two individuals later told police they were in a vehicle with Castillo when they heard multiple gunshots. Video surveillance showed a black SUV facing northbound in the alley and it came to an abrupt stop near the vehicle Castillo and two or three others were in.
One of the individuals returned fire from the vehicle, and at some point, they noticed that Castillo had been shot and was unconscious. Castillo was later declared deceased at the hospital.
Through investigation, APD homicide detectives learned that one of the individuals in the vehicle with Castillo was communicating with Lopez to set up a gun deal on the day of the shooting. They agreed to meet at the parking lot where the shooting ultimately took place. Phone records place Lopez at the scene of the shooting when the shooting took place.
Lopez was booked into the Metro Detention Center late Monday and charged with an open count of murder and armed robbery.
###
Comments are closed.