On the evening of October 27, 2022, deputies from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and firefighters responded to a vehicle fire near James Cook Drive and Pajarito Road SW in the remote Pajarito Mesa area of Albuquerque. After the SUV was extinguished, the body of 30-year-old Albuquerque resident Samir Rodriguez was found nearby. Investigators determined Rodriguez died from multiple gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide; it was recorded as the 149th homicide in Albuquerque for 2022.

The Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes and Homicide detectives are leading the investigation. Authorities say Rodriguez had a criminal history, including a 2014 murder charge that was later dropped, but they do not believe that prior case is connected to this killing. Investigators have named a person of interest but have released no identifying details and no arrests have been announced.

Anyone with information about Rodriguez, the vehicle fire, or activity near James Cook Drive and Pajarito Road SW on October 27, 2022, is asked to contact investigators.