Albuquerque Enchilada Spice Argument Ends in Fatal Shooting, NM Man Charged with Murder

POLICY WIRE — Albuquerque, United States — A fatal confrontation sparked by a disagreement over the spiciness of green chile in homemade enchiladas left 25-year-old Nathaniel Cavazos dead and led to murder charges against his 22-year-old cousin, Ervin Gutierrez.

Gutierrez was formally charged last week with an open count of murder in connection with Cavazos’s death, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman confirmed Friday in a public statement posted to Facebook.

The two men were dining together at an apartment in the Copper Hills complex in Albuquerque—joined by a third cousin, Kamyl Serrano—after Gutierrez traveled more than three hours from Roswell to cook dinner, according to KOB 4.

What began as a lighthearted comparison of their respective enchilada preparations escalated when Gutierrez asserted his portion contained hotter green chiles than those prepared by Cavazos for himself and another person, court records cited by KOAT show.

Serrano attempted to de-escalate the situation by suggesting a walk with the dogs, but the argument persisted and turned physical, KOB 4 reported.

Cavazos tried to disengage and walked away from the altercation, but Gutierrez retrieved a firearm and opened fire, striking his cousin multiple times outside the apartment complex around 11:30 p.m. local time.

Gutierrez surrendered to authorities and was booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center on August 29; he remained in custody Saturday afternoon.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)