Two Victims Remain in Critical Condition at Hospital
Martin Montano, 26
By Officer Tasia Martinez
Albuquerque Police arrested Martin Montano, in connection with Tuesday’s brutal attack against his mother and another man
Montano, 26, is being held without bond at the Metropolitan Detention Center on multiple felony charges including attempt to commit first degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated burglary, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and tampering with evidence. Additional charges are pending.
About 9:14 a.m. a concerned resident called 911 reporting they heard screams and then saw a man, later identified as Montano, putting a woman into the trunk of a car parked at her neighbor’s home. Within ten minutes, 911 received several more calls directing police and paramedics to the bridge on Central Avenue over the Rio Grande. Callers stated that Montano was seen taking an injured male and female out of the trunk of a car and throwing the woman over the rail of the bridge and into the river below.
Police and paramedics responded and found a bystander rendering aid to a badly beaten man at the top of the bridge and another bystander had pulled the woman out of the river below the bridge. Both subjects were transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. They remain hospitalized today, both in critical condition with their loved ones close by.
Police were able to locate Montano minutes later as a witness followed the suspect and relayed direction of travel and vehicle description to a 911 dispatcher. Officers caught up with Montano minutes later in the intersection of Mescalero and Carlisle NE where he was taken into custody. His clothes were covered in what appeared to be blood.
Detectives interviewed Montano who seemed to be suffering from mental health issues. Montano told detectives that on Tuesday morning, voices from his television told him to go to his mother’s house and remove the clones. He told detectives he entered his mother’s backyard by jumping over the fence and first attacked her roommate reportedly beating, kicking and stabbing him with a knife that Montano retrieved from the kitchen. Montano told detectives he repeatedly stabbed his mother and then retrieved a pillow case which he used to strangle her. He also told investigators that he used a pipe and a rock to beat both of the victims. Montano told detectives that he took the keys to his mother’s vehicle and placed both victims in the trunk. He stated that he threw his mother into the river and then fled after removing the man from the trunk because bystanders stopped him from throwing the second victim into the river. He told detectives that he was on the way back to his mother’s house to clean the crime scene when police apprehended him.
Arrest records show that Montano was arrested in August of 2012 for false imprisonment and battery against his mother. In that incident, Montano was seen by responding officers restraining his mother from opening the door to allow police in and pushing her to the ground shouting, “you have demons in you.” Montano also attacked an officer and was apprehended with the assistance of the Taser. Montano’s mother stated that the incident began when Montano arrived at her house and asked her for 5 dollars, he reportedly became agitated when she only had 2 dollars to provide. Montano’s mother declined to write a written statement at the time but requested and accepted information regarding obtaining a protective order against her son.
National Crime Information Center databases show no record of an active restraining order against Montano at the time of Tuesday’s incident.
APD Northeast Impact Detectives are continuing their work on this active investigation and have obtained search warrants for the victim's residence and vehicle.
