ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Police charged a 39-year-old Albuquerque man with murder after they say an argument over water dripping from an upstairs patio turned deadly.
Police said Michael Cain killed his downstairs neighbor, 22-year-old Esmerelda Romero, on Monday in northeast Albuquerque.
Court documents say Cain went to the leasing office twice to complain about water dripping from Romero’s patio onto his. Romero then went to the office to complain about Cain after she said he went to her apartment, banged on her door and harassed her about the water.
As Romero left the leasing office, an employee told police Cain ran from the parking lot, held Romero down and stabbed her multiple times.
“The lady was a nice lady, I met her a couple of times, she was young, she was smart,” neighbor River Redman said. “Having this happen to her, it just, it makes me sick, it makes me feel regret that I couldn’t do nothing to save her or anything.”
Police said Cain then ran off, called 911 and turned himself in.
One neighbor said he was shocked to learn Cain had been accused of the killing.
“He was just a nice guy, I thought he wouldn’t do something like this,” Stephen Hutchcraft said.
Police and prosecutors respond:
Albuquerque Police Department Commander Ray del Greco said police have not found major warning signs in Cain’s record so far.
“We’re still in the preliminary portion of the investigation; however, there’s no glaring red flags that this individual should have been, you know, incarnated or any of those types of things,” del Greco said.
Prosecutors want Cain to remain in custody. During his first court appearance Tuesday, Cain appeared to have injured his hand in the stabbing because it was heavily bandaged.
Police said intoxication does not appear to be a factor in the killing so far.
