Good Samaritan Jumps Into Action, Homicide Offender Caught

Victor Ortiz, 46, was arrested and charged with an open count of Murder. 

On 07/20/2017 at about 11:20 hours, the Albuquerque Police Department Southeast Area Command officers were dispatched to the 1700 block Hazeldine Ave in reference to a stabbing.  A caller told officers an unknown male was observed placing an unconscious person into a taxi cab and driving away in the cab.  The Albuquerque Police Department Air Support Unit was able to locate the cab and directed officers to its location at the Presbyterian Hospital Emergency Room.  Officers arrived and were able to determine that the male who drove away in the cab was a witness to the stabbing and jumped into action to get the victim to the hospital for help.  Officers spoke to the witness and were able to get a good description of the offender.  The offender was quickly located walking on Central walking towards the hospital and was taken into custody without incident by officers.

The offender has been identified as Victor Ortiz.  Ortiz was arrested and charged for the stabbing death of the victim.  Ortiz has a long criminal history and was just released from custody earlier this month for aggravated eluding from police. He also has a history of Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery on a Peace Officers with a Deadly Weapon and the list goes on dating back to 1995. 

The witness did an amazing job for his courageous effort to get the victim to a medical facility and providing officers the information they needed to get Ortiz into custody.  It is unfortunate the victim passed away from his injuries and our condolences go out to his family and the cab company for their loss.  It was because of this witnesses quick thinking and his actions that made this arrest possible. 

(The victims name was not disclosed in this article due to the notification of the victims family was still being completed at the time this was published.)