Albuquerque police arrest man for May 2024 murder

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Police Department arrested 18-year-old Gabriel Guerrero for the murder of Nathaniel Besel in May. APD said Besel got into a confrontation with his neighbors when he thought he smelled fentanyl smoke. The two women denied smoking. APD said both groups made threats to each other before separating.

Besel later left to go grocery shopping and after returning home, dropped off his boyfriend and went to park his car. Besel told his boyfriend he was then jumped by two women and a man. He took pictures of a silver Honda Accord with a California license plate and an orange Dodge car. He also found a cell phone in the parking lot.

Besel’s boyfriend told police that he was confronted by his neighbors trying to get their cell phone back. Besel went to look for his attackers and as he was walking back to the apartment, he was hit from behind by a silver Honda Accord. Besel died from his injuries on scene.

Police said the cell phone belonged to one of the neighbors in the confrontation. It had photos of Besel’s front door and the address of his apartment just before the fight. They also had pictures of his vehicle. Witnesses told police that the orange Dodge and Silver Honda Accord had circled the apartment complex.

Detectives said the Honda Accord belonged to Guerrero who is the boyfriend of one of the women at the apartment next to Besel. They found Guerrero’s vehicle which they said had been cosmetically altered. Guerrero is charged with murder.

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