Carlos Ochoa dies in fatal Northwest Albuquerque shooting.

Carlos Ochoa dies in fatal Northwest Albuquerque shooting.

Fatal Northwest Albuquerque shooting death of Carlos Ochoa

A parking disagreement apparently motivated a man to assault a woman with a gun barrel and murder another man on the night of Friday. David Casarez, a 38-year-old man, faces charges including murder, multiple counts of aggravated battery and assault involving a deadly weapon.

The murdered man was 22-year-old Carlos Ochoa. He was driving a group of young women to Effingbar and Grill for a birthday party. David Casarez, 38, currently faces an open murder charge, two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

According to an Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson, David Casarez will likely be transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center after being booked. Police officers arrived at 10:30 p.m. at the Sequoia NW bar, located west of Coors, following a reported shooting. Casarez had initially called 911 claiming he had fired a weapon. Upon arrival, officers found Ochoa lying face up near his vehicle, suffering from multiple gunshot injuries. Medical personnel pronounced Ochoa dead at the scene.

Albuquerque Police officers went to the Sequoia NW bar on the night of August 23rd due to a shooting. Casarez had alerted emergency services, stating he had shot someone. When police arrived, they discovered Ochoa lying face up beside his car, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Ochoa was pronounced dead at the scene. David Casarez was detained by police. He initially told officers the shooting was justified because Ochoa had pulled a gun on him, but this explanation was later contradicted by evidence.

One of Ochoa’s companions reported the conflict began when Ochoa pulled into a spot in front of Casarez’s SUV. According to the police complaint, that woman stated Casarez approached and said, “You think it’s funny,” before striking Ochoa in the face with a punch. Some of the women accompanying Ochoa attempted to assist him just as Casarez’s wife intervened in the situation.

A female companion of Ochoa told police that Casarez went to his car, retrieved a handgun, and then struck her with the gun barrel after she shouted “gun.” She stated that Casarez subsequently fired multiple shots at Ochoa, with the sounds of bullets whizzing by, before falling to the ground. This woman reported that Ochoa tried to sit up, but Casarez shot him again, “causing him to fall back and die.” Neither Casarez nor his wife mentioned finding a weapon on Ochoa, and no weapon was discovered or reported to be present.

Casarez informed the police that he was “disappointed” Ochoa had taken the parking spot and felt “kill[ing] the driver with kindness” was necessary. He claimed he felt “scared for his life” when he approached, stating Ochoa had threatened him with a gun. Casarez told police he tried to shake Ochoa’s hand before being attacked, and the women defending Ochoa began fighting his wife, prompting him to retrieve a weapon. He stated he struck one of the women with the gun barrel before noticing Ochoa pointing a weapon.

Albuquerque police found that Casarez’s story did not align with the timeline recorded by a gunfire detection device. The device registered several shots, followed by a four-second pause, and then a final single shot, according to detective reports.