Albuquerque, New Mexico: Man Arrested in Texas in Storage Facility Killing of Mark Staake

Albuquerque police have arrested a suspect in the shooting death of Mark Staake, who was found dead inside a recreational vehicle at a southeast Albuquerque storage facility on Oct. 22.

Police say Epifanio Torres III, 38, was taken into custody in Texas in connection with the killing. An arrest warrant charges him with an open count of murder, armed robbery, tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is expected to be extradited to New Mexico to face the charges.

The shooting on Central Avenue

Officers responded at about 10:40 a.m. on Oct. 22 to a reported shooting at a storage facility near the 7600 block of Central Avenue Southeast. They found Staake deceased inside an RV on the property. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

Witnesses told police they heard gunfire and saw a man carrying a rifle leave the facility in a gold SUV. Investigators identified the vehicle as a 2003 Honda Pilot belonging to Staake, and it was reported stolen and entered into the National Crime Information Center database.

ABQ RAW reported from the scene on Oct. 22 that the facility, A1 Self Storage at 7610 Central Avenue Southeast, was shut down while detectives worked the scene, and that Albuquerque Fire Rescue personnel found Staake beyond help when they arrived.

How detectives built the case

APD homicide detectives developed Torres as a suspect through witness statements, surveillance footage, and evidence recovered during the investigation. According to KKOB, surveillance footage showed Torres with Staake on Oct. 21 while the two were purchasing archery equipment.

At about 10:15 p.m. on Oct. 22, deputies with the Ward County Sheriff's Office located the stolen Honda Pilot in Sierra Blanca, Texas, after license plate reader technology detected the vehicle. Deputies took Torres into custody there.

Texas Rangers later executed a search warrant on the Honda Pilot. Investigators recovered apparent blood evidence on the driver's side, a Ruger .223-caliber rifle wrapped in a towel, a loaded 20-round magazine with one cartridge in the chamber, and a fired .223-caliber cartridge case. Fired .223-caliber cartridge cases were also recovered from the scene in Albuquerque.

What happens next

Torres will be extradited to New Mexico to face the charges, according to police. ABQ RAW reported that he has a criminal history in New Mexico dating back to 2008. The investigation remains ongoing, and the charges are allegations that have not been proven in court.