Apr. 29—A fight between two men ended when police say one stabbed another to death north of Downtown Albuquerque on Friday.
Joseph Hernandez, 46, of Albuquerque, is charged with an open count of murder and two counts of tampering with evidence. He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
The identity of the man who was killed will not be released until his next of kin has been notified, Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said in a news release.
It is unclear from court records what started the fight.
Hernandez previously served time in prison after pleading guilty in 2012 to kidnapping and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to court records.
Hernandez was identified as the stabbing suspect through video surveillance, according to a criminal complaint filed at Metropolitan Court.
At 5:40 p.m. Friday, officers responded to a call of a stabbing in the area of the 1200 block of First NW, near Mountain and Rosemont. When officers arrived, they found a man bleeding and beyond help, according to the complaint.
Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless video surveillance showed a man talking to people near the building when another man across the street — later identified as Hernandez — approached him, police said. After the pair spoke briefly, the man walked up to Hernandez, tore his shirt off and pushed him to the ground, the complaint states.
Hernandez got up and stabbed the man with a large knife several times before walking away, Gallegos said.
“There is reason to believe that Joseph Hernandez stabbed and killed (the man),” the complaint states. “Joseph then took the knife used to stab (the victim) and the cart that could be used to identify him and fled the scene.”