Suspect Arrested in Texas in Connection With Albuquerque Storage Facility Homicide

Albuquerque –

The Albuquerque Police Department (APD), working in coordination with regional law enforcement agencies and Texas authorities, arrested 38-year-old Epifanio Torres III in connection with the October 22, 2026, homicide of Mark Staake.

At approximately 10:40 AM on October 22, officers responded to a reported shooting at a storage facility in the War Zone area near the 7600 block of Central Avenue. Upon arrival, officers located Staake deceased inside a recreational vehicle (RV) on the property. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

During the investigation, witnesses reported hearing gunfire and seeing a heavyset male carrying a rifle leave the storage facility in a gold SUV. Investigators later identified the vehicle as a 2003 Honda Pilot belonging to Staake. Authorities subsequently reported the vehicle stolen and entered it into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.

APD Homicide Unit detectives developed Torres as a suspect through witness statements, surveillance footage, and evidence recovered during the investigation. Surveillance footage from October 21 showed Staake and a male consistent with Torres entering The Archery Shoppe and purchasing archery equipment. Additional footage captured the gold Honda Pilot entering and leaving the storage facility on the day of the homicide. Investigators observed a male carrying a rifle as the vehicle departed.

At approximately 10:15 PM on October 22, deputies with the Ward County Sheriff’s Office located the stolen Honda Pilot in Sierra Blanca, Texas, after license plate reader technology detected the vehicle. Deputies took Torres into custody.

Texas Rangers later executed a search warrant on the Honda Pilot and recovered apparent blood evidence on the driver’s side, a Ruger .223-caliber rifle wrapped in a towel, a loaded 20-round magazine with one cartridge in the chamber, and a fired .223-caliber cartridge case. Investigators also recovered fired .223-caliber cartridge cases from the scene in Albuquerque.

During a subsequent interview with investigators, Torres denied knowing Staake and denied any information about how he acquired the vehicle or the rifle. He advised police that “he hasn’t had a good memory since leaving the Four Winds rehabilitation facility, where he started using methamphetamine.” The criminal complaint stated that he claimed to have traveled to Texas for “sightseeing.” Investigators also documented a statement Torres reportedly made to jail personnel during the booking process. The exact statement Torres made with jail staff was not noted in the criminal complaint.

An arrest warrant was issued for Torres on the following charges:

• Open count of murder
• Armed robbery
• Tampering with evidence
• Felon in possession of a firearm

Torres will be extradited to New Mexico to face the charges. He has a criminal history in New Mexico dating back to 2008.