Offender Arrested for Shooting Girlfriend

 Scott Wade Bachicha, 32, was arrested and charged with killing his girlfriend, Mindy Stuart.

On April 16, 2017, the Albuquerque Police Department was dispatched to a shooting call in the 2400 block of Madeira Dr NE.  Officers arrived and located the victim identified as Mindy Stuart who sustained a single gunshot wound.  Officers also found Scott Bachicha who was the victims boyfriend at the residence.  Police were told that people in the area heard a gunshot and some time later saw Bachicha exit the residence and asked a neighbor to call police. 

Bachicha had a different story to tell police.  He originally told police that he was sleeping when he heard Stuart scream and then heard a gun shot.  Bachicha said he woke up to find his girlfriend shot and a dark figure walking out of the residence.  Police learned people in the area heard the shot and did not see anyone exit the residence other that Bachicha which was a while after the shot was heard.

Bachicha then changed his story and later told officers he was handling a shotgun and it went off by accident.  He said held Stuart and became scared so he threw the weapon on a roof top and had the neighbor call police. 

Based on the totality of the investigation, detectives determined Bachicha was to be charged with an open count of murder.  He was booked into MDC for this charge.