New Mexico Man’s Heated Dispute Over Who Had Spicier Enchiladas Turns Fatal as He Allegedly Shoots Cousin

A 22-year-old man from Albuquerque, New Mexico, was allegedly involved in an argument with his cousin over whose enchiladas were spicier before tensions escalated into a fistfight and subsequently a shooting that took his cousin’s life. Ervin Joaquin Gutierrez is now facing an open count of murder for the death of 25-year-old Nathaniel Cavazos.

According to Fox SA, the incident took place on Aug. 27 at an apartment complex in Albuquerque after an evening of drinking. Police reportedly responded to reports of gunfire around 11pm that night. When police arrived, they found Cavazos bearing multiple gunshot wounds and unresponsive on a walkway between the complex.

Cavazos reportedly succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Gutierrez was soon arrested by police and later taken into custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center shortly after midnight on Saturday.

The cousins were drinking alcohol that afternoon

A cousin of both men claimed to have witnessed the shooting take place. According to the cousin, Gutierrez had arrived at the apartment complex early that afternoon. The group went to buy groceries before returning to the apartment and cooked green chile enchiladas while consuming alcohol.

The cousin told police that tension between Gutierrez and Cavazos grew when Gutierrez repeatedly claimed that the chile on his enchiladas was spicier than the chile on Cavazos’, and supposedly challenged him to eat some of his. Cavazos argued that the enchiladas had been prepared together, so the chile should all have the same spice level, according to the witness statement in the affidavit.

To defuse the situation, the cousin reportedly suggested that Gutierrez and Cavazos take his dog for a walk. However, tensions continued and resulted in Cavazos punching Gutierrez, leading to a physical altercation. The cousin told police that Cavazos punched Gutierrez hard enough to leave him bleeding.

Gutierrez surrenders to New Mexico police

The cousin claimed that Cavazos walked away following the fistfight, but Gutierrez allegedly pulled out a handgun before confronting him once again. “We’re family! We’re family! How could you do this to me?” Gutierrez allegedly shouted before opening fire at Cavazos in the back three or four times when he was around 10 feet away and unarmed, according to the affidavit. Following the shooting, Gutierrez reportedly ran away from the area.

According to police, Cavazos also had a handgun belonging to him, which was found approximately 10 yards away from his body. However, the cousin claimed Cavazos did not brandish the weapon during the shooting.  

After the incident, the cousin reportedly received Snapchat messages from Gutierrez, who claimed Cavazos had threatened his life. “Is he really dead?” Gutierrez allegedly wrote in the Snapchat message. “I did not want to kill him but i didn’t want him to kill me.” Gutierrez reportedly surrendered himself to police the next day.

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