APD Arrests 17-Year-Old for Murder of Mother’s Boyfriend

Dec. 18, 2022

APD detectives arrested 17-year-old Ruben Benavidez following an overnight SWAT activation and charged him with the murder of his mother’s boyfriend, identified as Cedric Garcia-Guzman.

Officers were dispatched just before 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, to reports of a shooting at an apartment located at 1100 Coal Ave., S.W. The shooting victim, later identified as Garcia-Guzman, 39, was discovered to have been shot twice in the abdomen and was pronounced deceased on scene.

Homicide detectives arrived on scene and interviewed multiple witnesses and viewed surveillance camera footage of the homicide. Based on the investigation, detectives tracked the possible offender of the homicide to an apartment complex near 2900 Lexington St. NE.

An arrest warrant was obtained by Homicide detectives for Ruben Benavidez for the murder of Cedric Garcia-Guzman. APD's Tactical section was mobilized to respond and were able to take Benavidez into custody without incident.

Through the course of the investigation detectives learned Garcia-Guzman was dating Benavidez's mother. Benavidez became upset with Garcia-Guzman over the relationship with his mother, which culminated in the shooting death of Garcia-Guzman.

Benavidez was booked into the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center on an open count of murder and tampering with evidence.