Man accused of shooting, killing ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend

A Grand Jury in Otero County has indicted a man with murder in connection to the killing of his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend.

36-year-old Ignacio Galindo is facing a slew of charges, including First Degree Murder (Willful and Deliberate), Aggravated Burglary with a Deadly Weapon, two counts of Child Abuse, three counts of Tampering with Evidence, Aggravated Stalking with a Deadly Weapon, “Use of Telephone to Terrify, Intimidate, Threaten, Harass, Annoy or Offend” and two counts of Injuring or Tampering with a Motor Vehicle.

Galindo is accused of murdering Daniel Martinez in the early morning hours of August 17, 2018. The Alamogordo Police Department responded to a house on the 1000 block of 7th Street after receiving a 911 call that a man had been shot.

Officers arrived to find Martinez lying on the floor of the residence with a single gunshot wound. Galindo allegedly led police on a car chase, but was detained within minutes of the 911 call, prosecutors said. He was subsequently charged with murder after the victim died.

Court documents state detectives spoke with a woman who claimed Galindo was upset because she was in a romantic relationship with Martinez. The victim, who is the mother of two of Galindo’s children, had an active restraining order against Galindo, court documents state. The woman told detectives, that the night of the killing, Galindo ran into Martinez at a convenience store and attacked him with a knife. Martinez was able to defend himself by punching Galindo in the face. As Martinez drove away from the store, Galindo allegedly followed him in a pickup.

The woman told detectives Martinez drove around until he lost Galindo, then returned home. While they were in the living room, the couple heard banging on the windows and doors. When they looked outside through a window, the woman and Martinez spotted Galindo’s pickup parked across the street. At that point, the couple called 911.

Galindo allegedly removed the plastic siding for a window air conditioner and then reached into the home from the window opening to move a curtain to the side. Galindo then allegedly pointed a gun at the couple and fired a round, striking Martinez, court documents state.

The victim told detectives, that prior to the shooting, she had received threatening calls and text messages from Galindo, who allegedly said he was going to kill Martinez. One of the text messages allegedly stated, “I just found out you are (expletive) Daniel. He’s dead!”

Investigators later recovered a .380 caliber pistol believed to have been dumped by Galindo as he led police on a car chase. Court documents state investigators at the scene of the killing recovered a spent .380 caliber shell on top of the window air conditioner. Live rounds allegedly found in the .380 caliber pistol were the same brand as the spent shell casing found at the scene of the killing, court documents state.

Footprints matching the boots Galindo was wearing at the time of his arrest were also found outside the victim’s home.

The District Attorney’s Office sought to have Galindo held without bond pending trial. For now, Galindo is being detained without bond following a detention hearing on August 20, 2018. If convicted of all of the charges, Galindo faces life imprisonment.