Michael Arellano, 46, was fatally shot on May 28, 2022, in Tucumcari, New Mexico, during his son’s high school graduation party. A verbal altercation between Arellano and 42-year-old Tyje Garrett escalated; witnesses said Arellano left the gathering on foot heading north on Cemetery Road. Garrett reportedly drove past him in a truck, turned around to confront him, and the encounter ended with Arellano being shot multiple times. Arellano was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead by the Office of the Medical Investigator.

Garrett was arrested in Logan, New Mexico, and booked into the Quay County Detention Center. Authorities charged him with first-degree murder; investigators later added counts alleging tampering with evidence and illegal possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of battery against a household member. Family members described Michael Arellano as a devoted father who was deeply involved in his children’s lives and well loved by those who knew him.

Does anyone have information about that night or remembered seeing either man near Cemetery Road after the party?