Albuquerque –
On May 28, 2024, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez appealed the pretrial detention decision for Cristian Bencomo. Bencomo is accused of shooting his stepmother at a graduation ceremony in Albuquerque on May 8. Despite the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office twice requesting pretrial detention and presenting video evidence, Judge Emeterio Rudolfo denied the requests, placing Bencomo under house arrest with a GPS monitor. The Supreme Court denied NMDOJ’s appeal on this matter, and Bencomo remains out of custody, living with his grandmother.
Bencomo’s lawyer stated that he has lived with his grandmother since he was three. His grandmother also assured the court that there would be no firearms, drugs, or alcohol in her home. How Bencomo obtained a firearm to shoot his stepmother remains unclear.
“I am deeply disappointed in the New Mexico Supreme Court’s decision to deny our appeal of Cristian Bencomo’s pretrial release,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Judge Rudolfo’s ruling, which placed Bencomo on a GPS monitor after he attempted to murder someone at a graduation ceremony at the Albuquerque Convention Center, is just one more example of a catch and release culture that continues to endanger public safety. This decision also demonstrates the urgent need for the New Mexico Legislature to stop pretending that this system works and do something before another innocent victim is harmed.”
Backstory:
At around 5:00pm on May 8, 2024, the Albuquerque Police Department responded to a report of shots fired at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Upon arrival, officers found a female gunshot victim, later identified as Victoria Bencomo.
Cristian shot Victoria in the neck, critically injuring her, and then he allegedly proceeded to stomp on her head. After the shooting, multiple men tackled Cristian and held him down until the police arrived. Victoria was attending her son’s graduation ceremony at the Kiva when the incident occurred. Her son was reportedly graduating high school from the Southwest Secondary Learning Center. Emergency personnel rushed Victoria to the University of New Mexico Hospital for emergency surgery. According to a GoFundMe page set up for Victoria, she required a tracheotomy and feeding tube due due to the gunshot wound to her neck. A family member mentioned on the GoFundMe page that Victoria was working three jobs at the time of the shooting, a circumstance now severely affected by her injuries.
You can read out past stories on this shooting HERE, HERE, and HERE.