What did Erica Valdez do? Albuquerque woman accused of fatally shooting husband near their home

Erica Valdez, a 39-year-old woman from Albuquerque, New Mexico, was arrested for allegedly shooting her husband, Joel Valdez to death on Thursday, July 4, 2023. As per complaints made to the police, multiple witnesses saw the accused threatening to kill her husband and other people. The alleged murder came after an escalating domestic violence dispute between the couple that had been brewing for months.

Erica Valdez was arrested by the police on Thursday, July 4, 2023, and has been charged with murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, and shooting at or from a motor vehicle. She made her first court appearance on Friday, July 5, 2023.

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Erica Valdez's daughter saw her mother driving off before she found her father's body on the road

As per the Albuquerque Journal, Erica Valdez's 16-year-old daughter found her father's lifeless body on the road after she saw her mother driving off in a vehicle. In the events leading up to the shooting, Joel Valdez allegedly discovered his wife with another man in a motel, as per police reports. The unidentified man and the accused both pointed firearms at the victim, who left the scene.

At around 9:40 pm later that evening, the accused arrived at her home near 98th Street and pointed a gun at her husband's chest again. Surveillance footage of the area recorded a barrage of automatic gunfire as she left the scene, and as per authorities, the accused contacted a relative and confessed to the same. The police report regarding the incident suggests the presence of another female at the scene as the accused to be heard saying:

"You better get that female out of the house before I shoot her."

Surveillance footage showed that the accused arrived at the crime scene again post 11 pm and another barrage of gunshots was heard. This was when Joel Valdez died due to the bullets fired at him.

The bullet casing that was found at the crime scene matches a gun that Erica bought in February 2023.

Mourning the death of his brother, Fidencio Duran told the Albuquerque Journal:

“He had his downfalls like everyone does, but he was a good father.”

Erica Valdez recently appeared before Judge Elliot Asra for her first hearing and the prosecution requested preventive detention in the case. The date for the perpetrator's next hearing has not been set as of this writing.