Murder convict faces life sentence

A jury found Daniel Chavez, 32, guilty of first-degree murder and other felony charges in Taos District Court Friday morning (May 19), concluding a four-day trial.

The jury also convicted Chavez of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, which could add nine years to the mandatory life sentence a first-degree murder conviction carries in New Mexico. As with any life-sentence conviction, Chavez will have the option to file an appeal.

According to the statement of probable cause for Chavez’s case, a deputy from the sheriff’s office arrived at the south Speedway in El Prado around 11:20 p.m. on July 23 last year to respond to a report of gunshots. According to one of the clerks who was working at the time, about a dozen individuals had entered the gas station prior to the report and were engaged in a verbal altercation. The group later began to fight outside in the station’s parking lot.

Once the altercation began, the clerks locked the doors and called police. According to witnesses, the altercation began when Joshua Trujillo allegedly punched Chavez in the face. One witness noted Chavez always carried a knife on him. Eventually, the clerks saw

someone flee, driving off in a car that one clerk said belonged to the store manager, although Chavez was never charged with vehicle theft. According to a witness in the car with Chavez, he threw the knife out of the window as he drove away.

There was only one witness outlined in the document who saw the stabbing occur. Cesario Gomez, who was affiliated with the group, was in his car, waiting for them to leave the store. When the fight broke out, Gomez didn’t intrude, but he reportedly saw a larger man “bear hug” Trujillo and begin stabbing. When Trujillo entered Gomez’s vehicle, he lost consciousness, and Gomez began to perform CPR.

The victim was eventually identified as 28-year-old Trujillo, and the suspect as Chavez, who reportedly sustained cuts on his hands. Chavez was determined to be a suspect based on surveillance footage and witness reports, according to a press release from the Taos County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken into custody later that day but denied stabbing Trujillo.

When interviewed, Chavez told deputies that a knife may have been involved, since he sustained cuts on both hands. The statement of probable cause also said Chavez remembers being “in fear for his life while he was fighting.” He said he did not know what happened to the knife.

Three days after the incident, Trujillo died while being treated at UNM Hospital in Albuquerque.

The Office of the Medical Investigator later found Trujillo had been stabbed 28 times, contrary to the 13-14 times noted on medical records.

A sentencing hearing in Chavez’s case will be set for a later date.