Albuquerque –
Homicide detectives from the Albuquerque Police Department charged two teens with the deadly shooting of 17-year-old Angelo Tafoya on Tuesday during a drug and gun transaction that escalated into a robbery.
Austin Olimb, 18, admitted to detectives that he shot and killed Tafoya on Tuesday night as the two were negotiating to trade marijuana and a firearm in the parking lot at the Ridge Apartments, located at 557 Tramway Blvd. N.E.
Detectives also charged Ezekiel Ulibarri, 17 in connection to the murder. Ulibarri was with Olimb as they stole multiple vehicles and conspired to rob Tafoya.
APD officers identified the 2018 blue Hyundai Elantra that Olimb and Ulibarri were driving as they fled from the shooting. That vehicle was reported stolen earlier in the day of Sept. 16.
Deputies with the Bernalillo Sheriff’s Office detained Olimb and Ulibarri on Sept. 17 and determined they were driving a stolen red Hyundai Elantra. After arresting them, deputies located two firearms in the vehicle. While investigating the stolen vehicle, a security guard from the hotel where the car was stolen informed deputies that a blue Hyundai Elantra was also stolen from that location. He provided the license plate number, which matched the car that APD detectives flagged during their homicide investigation.
APD homicide detectives interviewed Olimb and Ulibarri and later obtained arrest warrants for the murder. Olimb said he shot Tafoya with the intention of making him drop his gun and marijuana. But after shooting him twice, Olimb approached Tafoya and shot two more times “just to double check” he was dead.
Olimb and Ulibarri are each charged with an open count of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, armed robbery with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, tampering with evidence, conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence, four counts of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, four counts of conspiracy to commit unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, and possession of a handgun by persons under age 19. Because of his age, there is no booking photo available for Ulibarri.
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