Alert City Bus Driver Helps APD Capture Murder Suspect

Albuquerque –

Officers from the Albuquerque Police Department’s Southwest Area Command arrested the suspect in Friday’s afternoons murder downtown after a city bus driver recognized him from an overnight police bulletin.

Around 7:40 AM on September 5, APD officers took 36-year-old Juan Maestas into custody near the Central and Unser Transit Center. An alert bus driver called 911 after spotting Maestas on his bus and noticing that he was trying to hide his identity. The driver told dispatchers that the bus even had photos of the suspect displayed.

APD’s Real Time Crime Center deployed a drone to the area and began monitoring surveillance cameras at the Transit Center. As officers approached, Maestas exited the bus and walked toward an arroyo before running toward a nearby neighborhood with a handgun in his right hand. Officers pursued Maestas and used a less-lethal weapon to take him into custody. Police recovered the handgun.

“I appreciate the great teamwork to make this arrest,” APD Chief Cecily Barker said. “While we often highlight the role of technology, we still need rely heavily on witnesses and alert citizens who can make the difference in solving cases. Detectives from different units worked together to quickly identify the suspect; a city bus driver spotted him and called 911; and field officers jumped into action and safely took him into custody. Many others played supporting, but critical roles to get a dangerous criminal off the streets.”

Maestas now faces charges in the fatal shooting of 43-year-old Tavis Kimbrough on Friday near 2nd St. and Marquette Ave. NW. Surveillance video showed Maestas standing at the corner of 2nd St. and Marquette before walking toward two men at a bus stop. The video showed Maestas make a motion toward one man’s midsection. An altercation followed, and the man fell to the ground. Maestas then walked away from the bus stop toward Marquette.

A witness told APD that Maestas fired two rounds, paused, and fired two more rounds. Following the gunshots, Maestas said something to the effect of, “Nobody fucks with me,” and “That’s what you get when you fuck with me.”

During the homicide investigation, detectives learned about another shooting that occurred earlier in the week on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at the Maverick gas station at 3601 Montgomery Blvd. NE. APD’s Gun Violence Reduction Unit identified Maestas as the suspect in that shooting.

Homicide detectives compared surveillance video from both shootings with photos of Maestas from previous arrests and determined that he was the suspect in both cases. Investigators also noted that Maestas wore the same clothing during both shootings.

Detectives secured an arrest warrant for Maestas overnight, charging him with an open count of murder and tampering with evidence.

APD stated that detectives are also pursuing charges against Maestas in connection with Wednesday’s shooting. In that incident, the victim told investigators that he was driving with his daughter after getting gas at the Maverick station when he noticed a man nearby. The victim then heard six to eight gunshots, and a bullet shattered his rear window. He realized that a bullet had struck his left arm and drove to a hospital for treatment. Detectives later identified Maestas as the shooter.

Maestas has an extensive criminal history. In 2015, he was charged with possession of a firearm or destructive device by a felon. He has also been charged with armed robbery on at least two occasions. There are at least three charges on NM Courts for Battery upon a Peace Officer. Maestas also has two prior DWI charges, including one filing that lists charges of DWI Driving While Under the Influence of Liquor (Impairment) (2nd), leaving the scene of an accident involving damage to a vehicle, driving with a suspended license, attempted battery, reckless driving, and a first-offense open-container violation.

It is unclear whether the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office or the U.S. Attorney’s Office could pursue an enhanced firearm charge based on Maestas’ apparent status as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.