APD charges 21-year-old for shooting death of friend

ALBUQUERQUE – APD homicide detectives charged 21-year-old Noah Rodriguez for the shooting death of his friend during a fight at his West Side home on Wednesday.

The victim’s next of kin has not been notified and detectives request that his name not be published until notification is made.

Detectives determined that Rodriguez was confronted by his friend, who was 24 years old, early Wednesday morning and started an argument over female. The argument escalated into a physical fight in which the friend punched Rodriguez three times and put him into “choke hold.” After the friend released Rodriguez from the choke hold, Rodriguez grabbed a shotgun from his closet and shot the friend, killing him.

Rodriguez, his mother, and three other friends who were in the house at the time told detectives that the friend threatened Rodriguez with a knife before the shooting. However, detectives determined the knife was placed into victim’s hand after the shooting to make it look like the shooting was in self-defense.

Rodriguez was charged with an open count of murder and tampering with evidence. He was booked overnight into the Metro Detention Center.

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