Hispanic/Latino male Antonio Gomez, 45, was fatally shot on July 16, 2025, in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. Deputies with the Taos County Sheriff's Office were dispatched around 2:20 p.m. to a shots-fired call at a residence on the 200 block of Espinoza Road, where they found Gomez unresponsive outside the home. The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau took over the case shortly after the initial response.
According to official releases and subsequent reports, Gomez had gone to the home to help repair a vehicle when an argument erupted.
Investigators allege that the confrontation involved the current boyfriend of Gomez's former partner, identified as 35-year-old Eduardo Castañeda. During the dispute, Castañeda allegedly shot Gomez and also wounded the woman in the arm; several children were present and witnessed the violence, according to authorities. Gomez died at the scene. Details from court records summarized in news coverage indicate that Castañeda later told police he acted in self-defense, claiming he was attacked, though investigators charged him based on the evidence gathered at the scene and interviews.
Within days of the killing, state police announced that Castañeda had been taken into custody. He faces counts including first-degree murder in Gomez's death, aggravated battery related to the woman's gunshot wound, and three counts of child abuse tied to the children who witnessed the shooting. Public records and multiple outlets list the location as 236 Espinoza Road in Ranchos de Taos, aligning with the initial emergency response. Gomez's death on that date has also been recorded by independent gun-violence tracking and obituary listings for the Taos area.
