Man dies after cousin’s drunken row over spicier enchiladas turns deadly in Albuquerque
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — A 25-year-old man was shot dead in Albuquerque after a late-night argument with his cousin over whose Mexican food was spicier,
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — A 25-year-old man was shot dead in Albuquerque after a late-night argument with his cousin over whose Mexican food was spicier, police said. The cousin, 22-year-old Ervin Joaquin Gutierrez, has been charged with murder and is being held in jail.
Nathaniel Cavazos was found lying in a pool of blood after officers responded to reports of gunfire at an apartment complex, according to the arrest report. He later died from gunshot wounds. Investigators say the dispute began after a night of heavy drinking and cooking green enchiladas.
A family argument turned violent
The pair had spent the night drinking and making the traditional dish at the complex in Albuquerque, according to the facts cited in the arrest report. What started as talk about who had the hotter plate of enchiladas quickly escalated. The row turned physical, an eyewitness reportedly told police.
Then, investigators say, Gutierrez pulled out a gun and fired. Cavazos was struck and later found by responding officers.
Police arrested Gutierrez on Friday. The case has left a grim trail from what began as a drunken argument over food to a murder charge against a cousin.
Another U.S. shooting adds to the toll
The Albuquerque killing comes amid a string of recent US shootings in which routine arguments or fast-moving confrontations have ended in death. In California, a man armed with a knife was shot and killed at Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que in Cerritos after a customer confronted him. In New York, police have also reported recent fatal shootings in Queens and the Bronx, including cases where victims were killed inside or outside their homes or shelters.
Those cases, like the Albuquerque shooting, show how quickly ordinary settings can turn lethal when guns enter a dispute. In this case, the trigger was not a robbery or gang clash, but a family quarrel that escalated in seconds.
Gutierrez remains in custody as the murder charge moves forward. Police have not said whether more charges are possible.
