Murder Charges Filed in Fatal Stabbing Near Storage Facility

Albuquerque –

On Saturday night, officers from the Albuquerque Police Department and medical crews from Albuquerque Fire and Rescue were dispatched to a reported shooting near the 4800 block of Hardware Dr. NE. Upon their arrival, the victim was declared dead. APD initially classified the death as “suspicious,” but today, they have released more information about the incident.

Detectives from the Albuquerque Police Department arrested Chaz Estrada late Sunday for the murder over the weekend of a man near a Northeast Heights storage facility.

Estrada, 38, is accused of fatally stabbing Travis Zabroski, 42, on Saturday evening following an argument at the A-1 Self Storage, located at 5115 San Mateo Blvd. NE. It is unclear why the original call came in as a shooting incident.

Homicide detectives discovered that the victim, Zabroski, was at the storage facility with a woman renting a unit. Later, another man, later identified as Estrada, arrived at the facility. Detectives learned that Estrada knew both the woman and Zabroski.

The two men engaged in a heated argument at the storage unit. Zabroski eventually gathered his belongings and departed the facility, heading west on McCleod Rd. Video surveillance captured Estrada following Zabroski as he approached Hardware Dr.

Later, APD officers responded to the area of Hardware Dr. and McCleod after a couple reported finding a body in the street. Upon arrival, officers discovered Zabroski, who was confirmed to be deceased. Subsequently, investigators identified several wounds on Zabroski’s body, including a fatal stab wound to the upper chest.

Detectives found that Estrada walked back to the storage facility after the murder. A blood trail led to the facility and the unit where the initial argument took place. After the murder, Estrada was seen at the storage unit, arguing with the woman.

On Sunday, November 9th, the Office of the Medical Investigator reported that the autopsy determined the cause of death to be a stab wound to the chest that punctured the heart. Additional findings, per the criminal complaint, included a stab wound to the head that impacted but did not penetrate the skull, a cut on the left forearm, a cut on the right thumb, four small blunt force or stab wounds to the mid-back, and multiple contusions and lacerations to the head and face.

Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Estrada, who was residing at a halfway house after his release from jail on federal charges. He was apprehended late Sunday on charges of multiple counts of murder and tampering with evidence. Violating his federal release.

Estrada was booked overnight into the Metro Detention Center.