Velarde, NM – An argument in Alcalde on Sunday turned violent leaving one man hospitalized and landing one man in jail.
The investigation began on August 21, 2022, at around 1:30 p.m., when New Mexico State Police officers were called to 176 County Road 52 in Velarde for a man who had been shot. Officers arrived to find a 23-year-old man who had been shot. The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau was called in to investigate the case.
Agents learned that just before the shooting, Adel Jesus Valdez had been in a verbal argument with the victim. The argument escalated and Valdez shot the victim and then fled the scene. The victim was airlifted to a hospital in Albuquerque for treatment of the injuries he sustained.
After being on the run for almost 24 hours, Valdez turned himself in to State Police agents at the State Police office in Espanola. He was arrested and booked into the Rio Arriba County Detention Center and charged with Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Valdez has an extensive felony criminal history including Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, Homicide by Vehicle, Forgery, and Possession of a Controlled Substance.
The victim’s condition is not known, and he will not immediately be identified by State Police. This case is being investigated by the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau.
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