Video Shows Arrest of Suspect in UNM Dorm Shooting death
ALBUQUERQUE,NM (KRQE) – Newly released body camera footage depicts the arrest of 18-year-old John Fuentes,the suspect in the July 25 shooting death of 14-year-old Michael Lamotte at a University of New Mexico dorm.
Police responded to reports of shots fired at a UNM dorm in the early morning hours of July 25.Authorities found 19-year-old Daniel Archuleta with a gunshot wound and Lamotte deceased. Fuentes and Archuleta’s half-brother, 20-year-old Zion Miera, were also present at the time of the shooting.
Court documents indicate the group had been handling firearms and using drugs prior to the shooting. Prosecutors allege Fuentes fired the shot that killed Lamotte.
Following the shooting, Archuleta and Miera allegedly fled through a window before returning to the dorm room to remove evidence, according to the criminal complaint. Fuentes also fled the scene and was tracked down by state police hours later in Valencia County.
the body camera footage shows officers instructing Fuentes to exit his vehicle with his hands up. “Exit the car with your hands up, open and empty and I can ensure your safety. Turn away from me,” an officer is heard saying in the footage.
During his arrest, officers instructed Fuentes to place his hands on his head and cross his feet. fuentes, who admitted to being under the influence of drugs, told police he was pressured into taking drugs and was unsure how the gun he held discharged, or if he had shot anyone.
Fuentes is charged with murder and remains in custody awaiting trial. If convicted, he faces more than 30 years in prison.Archuleta and Miera are facing charges of tampering with evidence, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and drug offenses.
