APD detectives arrest Michael Koester for killing man during fight between families
July 19, 2022
ALBUQUERQUE -- APD detectives arrested a man overnight and charged him with 2nd degree murder for killing a man during a fight between families on Monday.
Michael Anthony Koester, 25, is accused of fatally shooting Raul Gallegos, 44, on Monday afternoon at an apartment complex located at 6000 Topke Pl., N.E. Homicide detectives determined Koester shot Gallegos three times after the two men fought each other. Phone video of the incident shows Gallegos retreating back toward his vehicle after the fight as Koester pointed a firearm at Gallegos just prior to the shooting.
Witnesses said the incident started Monday afternoon when Koester’s girlfriend, Daysha Aragon, discovered a teen-age male inside her apartment with teen-age girls who were staying at the apartment. Two of the teens were not wearing clothes and Aragon confronted the male, which led to an altercation. Aragon told detectives that Koester entered the bedroom and picked up the male in a bear hug and took him outside.
The teen-age male called family members and told them he was being battered by two adult males and he needed help. Aragon alleged the male told his families to bring guns, and she said she retrieved her handgun from her apartment.
The teen-age male’s family members, including his father, Raul Gallegos and mother, Shamrah Gallegos, arrived at the apartment and a fight erupted between several people. The fight resulted in the shooting of Raul Gallegos, who later died after he was taken to a hospital.
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