Man, 20, charged with murder in South-Central El Paso shooting

El Paso police made an arrest in the death of a man whose body found in his own backyard early Tuesday morning.

The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Roger Alan Bustamante, was charged with murder. He and the unidentified 61-year-old victim got into a fight that ended with shots fired, police said.

The victim’s roommate heard a gunshot about 3:45 a.m. Tuesday on the 400 block of Cortez Drive, before discovering the victim in the backyard and calling police.

Due to overgrown weeds in the backyard, investigators said they had to wait until the scene was processed and the medical examiner arrived before determining whether a homicide had occurred.

Bustamante was arrested Tuesday night after forensic evidence linked him to the crime, police said. He was booked into the El Paso County Jail with bond set at $500,000. Bustamante’s arrest photo will be released at a later time, police said.