ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque Police arrested a man accused of beating a man to death inside a southeast Albuquerque home Monday night.
Juan Portillo Mendez, 43, is accused of killing the victim, Humberto Dominguez-Ortiz, 40, by hitting him in the head with a metal object. Detectives located a pipe with blood on it during a search of Dominguez-Ortiz’s yard.
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Dominguez-Ortiz called police earlier in the day on Monday, saying he was receiving threats from Portillo Mendez, who he described as a former friend who was upset with him. An officer responded to take a report of the threat.
Later that night, Dominguez-Ortiz called 911 to report that he believed Portillo Mendez was trying to enter his home, located in a trailer park at 12336 Fox Ln. SE, near Juan Tabo Blvd., south of Central Ave. While a dispatcher was attempting to send police to the home, the 911 call-taker heard an altercation over the phone line and described several “thuds” consistent with a metal object hitting a person, according to APD…