Suspect charged in death of homeless man at ABQ park
Aug. 19—ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — One homeless man is accused of fatally shooting another in the head in June at an east Central Park.
Quentin Salazar, 27, is charged with an open count of murder in the June 12 death of 29-year-old Joseph "Taz" Borja. Salazar was arrested Wednesday afternoon.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court:
Officers responded around 11:15 a.m. to Bicycle Park at the corner of Central and Tramway after a man reported finding a dead body. Police found Borja "pale and cold to the touch" with a bullet hole in his head.
Those in the area told police a man known in the homeless community as "Q" was responsible and still had the gun used to kill Borja. Detectives learned an officer had spoken with "Q" — later identified as Salazar — during the investigation and, at the time, "Q" was "hiding something" in his waistband.
On June 24 Salazar was found with a 38 special handgun and booked on felony warrants. Salazar told detectives he found the gun in a dumpster and had nothing to do with Borja's death before requesting an attorney.
A witness came forward and told police they were at the park when they saw a woman known as "Momma Red" tell Salazar that Borja owed her money and wouldn't pay. Another witness, who was "in extreme fear for their safety," told police they saw Salazar walk up to Borja as he was sleeping and hit him multiple times with a beer bottle.
The witness said Salazar then dragged Borja onto the concrete, kicked him and shot him in the head with a Derringer pistol.
