13-year-old confessed to shooting, police say
Feb. 10—Santa Fe police arrested 13-year-old Christopher Martin Thursday after, police said, the boy confessed to shooting a man Feb. 4 at the Santa Fe Apartments on Camino Alire.
Martin is being charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence, according to a news release Friday. He was booked into the San Juan County jail and is being held at the facility without bond pending a court hearing.
Santa Fe police Capt. Aaron Ortiz said investigators were doing "some follow up" at the Santa Fe Apartments Thursday when they came into contact with Martin. The captain declined to provide details on why police initially wanted to speak with Martin, and refused to say whether he is a resident at the Santa Fe Apartments. However, he said Martin gave a possible motive during his interview at the police station.
"The motive that we have obtained so far is that there was an argument over a stolen motor vehicle, and then the shooting occurred," Ortiz said.
The captain added police are looking for "at least one" other person of interest, an adult, who may have been involved with the shooting.
Ortiz confirmed Martin was the one who pulled the trigger, but declined to say how police think he acquired the gun.
"That's still under investigation," Ortiz said.
The captain said police have not received any updates on the 34-year-old victim's condition Friday, and declined to disclose his name "based off of safety reasons." Ortiz said Tuesday police believe the man will survive "based on what doctors have told us" and was in critical condition at the time.
Officers were dispatched to the Santa Fe Apartments at about 9 p.m. Saturday, according to the news release. The victim was found with "at least one gunshot wound" in the complex's parking lot and was transported to an area hospital.
The release states Martin confessed to the shooting "in the presence of a guardian."
