APD Officer Found Dead After BCSO Responds to Allegations of Violent Felony Assault and Abuse

Albuquerque –

On Wednesday, November 5th, 2025, at approximately 5 PM, we received a tip that deputies from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office were at a residence in the 180 block of Piñon Trail in Cedar Crest.

The tipster said that BCSO deputies were investigating allegations that an officer from the Albuquerque Police Department, Dominic Castro, had physically and sexually assaulted his wife and allegedly abused his child.

We attempted to open the criminal complaint, however it is sealed. This is not unusual, typically criminal complaints are sealed until the individual is arrested and booked into jail.

According to court records from the New Mexico Courts website, Castro faces multiple charges, including two counts of kidnapping, one count of criminal sexual penetration, two counts of false imprisonment, battery against a household member, interference with communications, and one open count of child abuse.

Castro was a Police First Class meaning he was no longer on probation and was a working patrol officer in the Southeast Area command.

BCSO tactical units responded to Castro’s residence on Piñon Trail in Cedar Crest around 6 PM. BCSO vaguely posted about law enforcement activity on the X account around 8:22 PM.

After BCSO tactical units made entry shortly after midnight on November 6, Castro was found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. We learned that there was evidence Castro had tried to burn the home down killing one of the three dogs inside. Due to fire damage within the residence, entry was delayed until Fire Marshal personnel deemed the structure safe.

BCSO has announced that the adult victim and the juvenile involved are receiving support and services. 

Sheriff Allen stated, “This was a complex and deeply troubling situation. We are grateful the victims were able to get to safety and that they had the courage to come forward. The investigation will continue through the proper independent processes, and we ask the community to keep the victims in mind as they navigate this difficult time.”

We have noticed a large amount of issues arising from the last few rounds of APD hires. We learned that Castro graduated from one of APD’s 2024 academy classes. The class before in 2023 had a number of issues transpire including:

• During a July 2023 press conference touting new hires, the son of a high-ranking APD Commander, Cadet Joshua Vega, was prominently featured before being fired only two weeks into the academy for a pattern of “untruthfulness,” including lying about his mandated haircut. Following his termination, which led to him filing an EEOC complaint for “Hazing,” seven Academy instructors were removed from their positions and reassigned, raising concerns they were being punished for doing their jobs. A jury awarded seven Albuquerque police officers a total of $1.085 million after finding that APD leaders retaliated against the academy staff for the termination of then Cadet Joshua Vega, the son of a high-ranking APD Commander. The officers’ lawsuit successfully alleged that hazing allegations were fabricated by command staff, including Chief Harold Medina, to discredit them after they reported Vega for dishonesty regarding an academy policy requiring male cadets to razor-shave their heads. – https://abqraw.com/post/apd-cadet-gets-fired-then-quickly-rehired-dad-is-high-ranking-apd-official-nepotism-at-play/ and https://abqraw.com/post/city-loses-rare-jury-trial-case-vs-seven-apd-officers/
• The November 2023 murder-suicide at the Olympus Encantado Luxury Apartments involved APD Cadet Taylor Hagan, 32, and her husband, Briton Hagan, 41, who fatally shot her before killing himself after a domestic incident. The couple’s young child was sent outside with a note during the incident. Cadet Hagen was purportedly having an affair with another APD cadet. The affair was allegedly reported to APD by Cadet Hagen’s husband, Briton, prior to the murder-suicide. – https://abqraw.com/post/murder-suicide-involves-apd-cadet-and-her-spouse/
• During that 2023 cadet class, APD Police Academy Sergeant Charmane Carter filed a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against Cadet Devin Guidry on December 6, 2023, following multiple incidents involving his APD-issued equipment and escalating threats. Court documents detail Guidry’s disturbing actions, including placing a firearm barrel in his mouth, threatening to shoot fellow cadets, placing a Taser on a cadet’s neck, and stating that he would return to the Academy and start shooting if fired. – https://abqraw.com/post/another-scandal-at-apd-s-police-academy-cadet-fired-after-threats-of-violence-toward-his-classmates/
• Another cadet was removed from the 2023 class after having suffered from a mental health episode.

It is unclear if current hiring standards have tanked at APD or if it’s just been a bad couple of years for a few officers who were hired. We will update this story if and when we learn more.