‘Didn’t Teach Him Anything When We Had the Chance’: Two Teens Accused of Fatally Shooting Homeless Man In a Tent After He Asked Them to Stop Shooting into Nearby Dry Creek, New Mexico Police Say
Two New Mexico teenagers are facing murder charges after allegedly fatally shooting a homeless man in a tent last month after he asked them to stop firing into a nearby creek. City employees with the Albuquerque Community Safety Department found 23-year-old Christopher Sturluson dead in a tent behind an apartment complex on May 1. Joshua Curtis, 18, (left) and a 17-year-old boy were arrested and charged with the murder of 23-year-old Christopher Sturluson (right). (Photos: Screenshots/KOB-TV) Authorities had been called to the area the night prior and spoke to Sturluson, whose tent was set up near an arroyo, also known as a dry creek. He told officers that three people had been shooting in his direction and into the creek, and he requested them to stop. Using Spotshotter, an acoustic sensor system that detects and locates the source of gunshots in real-time, police learned that a total of 10 gunshots had been fired just before 9 p.m. on April 30. Then, between 10:15 p.m. and 11:50 p.m., police data revealed that six more shots had been fired. Investigators believe Sturluson had been shot in that time frame. They reviewed surveillance video in the area that showed the two suspected shooters walking toward Sturluson's tent and firing shots just feet away from the dwelling before midnight. “Detectives determined that Sturluson was likely shot during the gunshots fired just before midnight. Video showed two people, later identified as Curtis and Brown, walking just east of the tent about one minute before the shots were fired about 5-7 feet from the tent. Investigators linked casings from the scene to a gun that was recovered,” APD stated in a news release cited by KOB-TV. Authorities later arrested 18-year-old Joshua Curtis and 17-year-old Adrian Brown. Brown was charged with first-degree murder, shooting at an occupied dwelling, conspiracy to commit a shooting, negligent use of a deadly weapon, and unlawful possession of a handgun by a person under the age of 19. Curtis was also charged with murder and multiple other crimes. The Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office said both teens will be tried as adults. Prosecutors say 17-year-old Brown was already on juvenile probation, and said he has been arrested multiple times in the past for firearms violations. “If you dish out no consequences, then they learn absolutely nothing from that,” Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman said. “The problem with learning nothing from it, is now, if convicted, this juvenile is facing the rest of his life in prison. We didn’t do any justice for the poor homeless person that’s dead, and we certainly didn’t do any justice for the kid that's now charged with murder because we didn’t teach him anything when we had the chance.” Sturluson's family said that Sturluson had been struggling with addiction, but was getting help from a rehabilitation program. Curtis’ attorney, Jay K. Nair, told McClatchy News that he will make sure the case is "fully investigated and to identify the faces behind the charges.” "As the case develops, we will separate the facts from fiction. It is important to remember that Mr. Curtis is innocent until proven guilty, and at this time, the allegations in this case are just that — allegations," Nair stated.
