An oil change is perhaps the simplest car maintenance task, one that many owners can even do at home. But in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a simple mistake tragically escalated into violence when a customer opened fire outside an O’Reilly Auto Parts store, killing two employees during an argument over oil.
According to KOAT, the customer, Ismael Tena, 27, asked for two extra containers of oil after the originals were wasted due to an incorrect filter. He took the items, left the store, and later shot employees Richard Newman, 47, and Jesus Valdez, 18, claiming they had turned violent toward him. However, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office said there wasn’t enough evidence to support his account.
Slippery Situation
Using the wrong oil filter can cause leaks once the engine is running due to improper fitment. In Tena’s case, the wasted oil couldn’t simply be reused—it was likely already spilled and contaminated with dirt or debris, which would be unsafe for the engine since oil circulates through every critical component, including the cylinder walls.
For Tena, fresh oil was necessary to get his car running, but the store at 2712 Sunshine West Plaza Drive SW wasn’t responsible for his failure to know the correct filter. What makes the tragedy worse is that two lives were taken over a mistake that could have been fixed with a new filter and oil refill—likely costing less than $100, depending on the brand and quality. Costs can shoot up if he drives a luxury or high-performance vehicle.
Michael Newman, son of the 47-year-old victim, shared his thoughts about the tragedy, saying:…