ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police in Albuquerque arrested a person suspected of stabbing 11 individuals as he rode a bicycle across the metropolis over the weekend, leaving two victims critically injured, authorities mentioned.
The suspect was recognized as Tobias Gutierrez, a 42-year-old man with a felony historical past that features felony offenses that vary from housebreaking to battery and possession of a managed substance.
He was booked into jail on costs of aggravated battery with a lethal weapon, police in New Mexico’s largest metropolis mentioned in a press release Monday. Reserving paperwork mentioned he was homeless.
The stabbings appeared to have been dedicated at random inside hours alongside Central Avenue, one of many metropolis’s principal thoroughfares. One of many crime scenes included a homeless encampment and one other was close to a smoke store the place the suspect requested a sufferer for cash and yelled obscenities earlier than swinging a knife, in accordance with a felony criticism.
“There doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or purpose” to the assaults, police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos mentioned.
There was no instant info on whether or not Gutierrez had a lawyer who might communicate on his behalf.
New Mexico courtroom information present Gutierrez additionally had been charged through the years with drug possession and driving whereas intoxicated.
In 2014, Gutierrez failed to look in courtroom for driving on a revoked license, information present. He responded to the courtroom with a handwritten be aware saying that he was in federal custody in one other county and that he was making an effort to raised himself whereas incarcerated.
His federal jail sentence stemmed from a case wherein he entered a tribal on line casino north of Albuquerque whereas carrying a revolver and ammunition.
Authorities mentioned Gutierrez bought into an altercation with a on line casino safety officer, dropped the revolver, bought right into a car and led police on a chase by a suburb till he crashed and was discovered hiding.
Information present he was launched from federal custody in 2020.
Information additionally present that police have been known as to his mom’s dwelling twice final September for home altercations, together with one wherein he was accused of stabbing her husband. No costs have been filed.
Sunday’s assaults started round 11:15 a.m., when officers responded to a criminal offense scene downtown and located a person struggling a laceration to his hand. About an hour later, one other name got here in concerning the stabbing outdoors a smoke store close to the College of New Mexico a pair miles away.
Police have been known as to 2 extra stabbings alongside Central Avenue over the following two hours earlier than one other name got here in at 2 p.m. a couple of man attempting to stab individuals outdoors a comfort retailer. Arriving officers discovered two victims with neck wounds.
Throughout the subsequent 20 minutes, two extra calls got here in — and the ultimate one concerned a sufferer stabbed outdoors of a restaurant alongside one other busy road lower than a mile away.
The witnesses recognized a person on a motorbike armed with a big knife. Some described the person as performing unusually and mentioned he gave the impression to be upset.
In accordance with the felony criticism, an officer noticed a suspect who match the outline and noticed him toss one thing right into a trash can earlier than the officer stopped the suspect. A search warrant was issued, and a knife was discovered.
The victims have been taken to completely different hospitals. Whereas two suffered essential accidents, all of these hospitalized have been in steady situation, police mentioned. Some have been handled for his or her accidents and launched.
