In an act of kindness that tragically led to his own demise, a 77-year-old Caucasian male, Harry Velarde, was killed in his Albuquerque, New Mexico, apartment on March 10, 2024. A few days prior, Velarde had met a woman named Destiny Pacheco and, in a gesture of goodwill, allowed her to stay with him for a few days. This decision would unfortunately set in motion a devastating chain of events.
On that Sunday, officers were dispatched to Velarde's apartment at 1015 Valencia Dr., S.E.,
following a report of a male with a gunshot wound. Upon arrival, they found Velarde deceased, having been shot in the abdomen. The investigation that followed revealed a grim story of betrayal and violence. Detectives determined that Pacheco, 31, and a man named James Caleb Gonzales, 26, had gone to Velarde's apartment with the intention of robbing him. During the robbery, Gonzales, who was armed with a handgun, initiated a physical altercation with Velarde, which ended with the fatal gunshot.
Following the deadly encounter, Gonzales and Pacheco fled the scene, taking with them some of Velarde's personal belongings, including his mobile phones, identification, and debit cards. Homicide detectives were able to track one of the stolen phones to various locations across Albuquerque. This allowed them to conduct surveillance on the pair as they used Velarde's debit card. The investigation proceeded quickly, and by the next day, authorities had identified the suspects. They also discovered that the vehicle Gonzales and Pacheco were using had been carjacked.
The pursuit of the suspects culminated in their arrest late on Monday by the New Mexico State Police at Villanueva State Park, near Las Vegas. When Gonzales was apprehended, he was in possession of two firearms and Velarde's identification. Further investigation linked the bullet casing from Velarde's homicide to a separate incident on March 3, 2024, in which Gonzales is suspected of shooting his ex-girlfriend. Both Gonzales and Pacheco now face a litany of charges, including an open count of murder with a firearm enhancement, conspiracy to commit murder, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery, among others.
