On the warm evening of August 30, 2022, the familiar comfort of Giovanni's Pizzeria in southeast Albuquerque was shattered by sudden violence. The owner, 57-year-old Rosario Zito, a beloved figure in the community, was shot and killed in the parking lot of his own establishment. The tragedy unfolded shortly after 9:20 p.m., just after the pizzeria at 921 San Pedro Drive SE had closed for the night.
Zito and his employees were gathered outside when they were approached by a man dressed in
dark clothing who had been loitering nearby. The man, later identified as 27-year-old Sylvan Alcachupas, brandished a small black handgun and demanded the employees empty their pockets. After firing a warning shot into the air and exclaiming, "I'm fucking serious. Empty your shit on the ground," the employees threw their tip money to the ground. Alcachupas then turned his attention to Zito, challenging him with the words, "You wanna play?" Zito, in an attempt to defend himself and his staff, drew his own handgun. An exchange of gunfire followed, and witnesses saw Zito fall to the ground as the suspect went through his pockets before fleeing.
Albuquerque Police Department officers, alerted by their Shot Spotter system and a 911 call from an employee, arrived at the scene to find Zito with a gunshot wound; he was pronounced deceased in the parking lot. Responding officers quickly spotted a man matching the suspect's description a few blocks away. The man, Sylvan Alcachupas, was seen handing an object to an unidentified woman who fled in another direction. Though he denied any involvement, Alcachupas was taken into custody.
Sylvan Alcachupas, a convicted felon with a lengthy criminal history, was arrested and charged with an open count of murder, robbery with a deadly weapon, and tampering with evidence. It was later revealed that he was on probation for a previous robbery and had been arrested just weeks before the murder on separate charges but was released. He would later face eight additional charges related to the incident. The community was left to mourn the loss of Zito, a man described as kind, compassionate, and honorable, who had been a cornerstone of his neighborhood for over 30 years. Friends, family, and patrons created a makeshift memorial of flowers and candles in front of the pizzeria, remembering a man who was a friend to everyone he met.
