APD detectives arrested Cristian Bencomo, 21, of Albuquerque for the shooting at the Convention Center. Bencomo was apprehended by bystanders and taken into custody by APD.
Bencomo is accused of shooting his stepmother, Victoria Bencomo, who was attending a ceremony in which her son was graduating. According to a criminal complaint, she later told detectives that Bencomo, her stepson, approached her and she started to hug him when he produced a handgun and shot her in the neck. She fell to the floor and was later transported to a hospital, where she is currently in critical, but stable condition.
A witness told police he heard a pop and saw the victim, an adult female, holding her neck and throw her hands in the air before falling to the ground. The witness said he saw the male shooter, later identified as Bencomo, lift his leg as though he was going to stomp on the victim. The witness said he grabbed Bencomo by the belt after the shooting and pulled him back. The man said another bystander intervened and held Bencomo down until officers arrived a few minutes after the shooting.
Detectives attempted to speak to Bencomo, but he declined to make a statement. He is charged with Aggravated Battery Against a Household Member (Possibility of Great Bodily Harm or Death), Felony Offense Not Identified, Unlawful Carrying of a Deadly Weapon and Negligent Use of a Deadly Weapon.
UPDATE:
In a recent plea on a GoFundMe, Victoria’s family state:
At her son’s graduation ceremony, her ex stepson approached her and shot her point blank in the face.
As Toria battles through these challenging times, she is not only dealing with the physical wounds but also the emotional trauma that comes with such a traumatic event. She has already undergone hours of surgery, will have an trach and feeding tube put in. Her journey to recovery will require extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and ongoing support. Toria also works 3 jobs to support her children and is the sole provider. This is going to cause a massive financial burden on her.
If you would like to help Victoria Bencomo and her children, please consider donating to her GoFundMe.
Sick F*** needs the S*** kicked out of him. A bad unit. Get a rope.
That sounds like some crazy domestic jealousy
[…] 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. […]