Woman Charged with Murder in Strange Lover’s Quarrel

Albuquerque –

APD homicide detectives charged a woman today for an overnight stabbing that followed a domestic dispute in Northwest Albuquerque involving a love triangle. 20-year-old Ashlynn Battle of Albuquerque was charged with first degree murder for the fatal stabbing of a woman.

According to a criminal complaint, officers responded Friday after receiving a 911 call around 11:15 p.m. about a stabbing at the Sandia Village apartments in the 5100 block of Prospector Way, N.W., near McMahon Blvd. After responding to the scene of the stabbing, officers learned the victim, 18-year-old Reina Aragon, had been taken to a nearby hospital. Aragon died as a result of her wounds.

Detectives determined that Battle was with her boyfriend, Jason Clifford, who went to confront Clifford’s ex-girlfriend Aragon and Clifford’s roommate at a fast food restaurant where the two men worked. The two men got into a scuffle and left the scene.

Battle and Clifford went to the apartment off McMahon. Clifford later told detectives he noticed the tires on his vehicle had been slashed and he suspected Aragon or his roommate were responsible for the damage. Battle and Clifford went looking for Aragon, but returned to the apartment.

The complaint goes on to say, Battle told detectives that Aragon was seen damaging Clifford’s pickup truck and then approached Battle while she sat inside a vehicle. Battle said she had armed herself with a folding knife. She said Aragon approached the passenger side of the vehicle and attempted to hit Battle. Battle said she stabbed Aragon in the stomach, who then fell to the ground, but got back up. She told detectives that Aragon was not armed with any weapons.

Battle said she saw Clifford armed with a baseball bat, striking the windows of a vehicle that Aragon got into after the stabbing. The woman driving that car took Battle to Lovelace Hospital, which is down the street. She died at the hospital.

Battle is charged with an open count of murder. We reached out to APD on if Clifford will face any charges and they have not gotten back to us.