Santa Fe Police: 19-year-old's death was a homicide
Jun. 6—The Santa Fe Police Department has determined the death of a 19-year-old man over the weekend was a homicide.
A police spokesman said authorities have identified the victim but are waiting to release his name until next of kin have been contacted.
Police Lt. Chris McCord said investigators, who'd initially determined the man's death as suspicious, had no suspects as of Sunday but were continuing to seek leads.
The victim was found in the parking lot of the Las Palomas Apartments at 2001 Hopewell St. early Saturday morning after a resident called police. Officers found the man with a head injury.
Police on Saturday said paramedics and officers rendered aid to the victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene. McCord said the body will be sent to the state Office of the Medical Investigator to determine how the man died.
Police said more information will be released when it becomes available.
The homicide is the city's first since March, when Christopher Vigil, 40, was shot and killed following a rush-hour altercation at the corner of St. Michael's Drive and Cerrillos Road. Karl Rougemont has been charged with second-degree murder in Vigil's death.
That incident closely followed the deaths of Santa Fe police Officer Robert Duran and retired Las Vegas, N.M., firefighter Frank Lovato, who were killed in a high-speed crash on I-25.
The woman accused of making a call that prompted a wrong-way chase on the freeway, Jeannine Jaramillo, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
