Following the shooting, Trujillo removed Tiberi from his vehicle and fled the scene in a red Ford Mustang.
Source: New Mexico State Police
Photos: Courtesy
Rio Arriba County, N.M. — On November 15, 2025, at approximately 12:26 a.m., Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a male gunshot victim located in the parking lot of the Ohkay Owingeh Casino. New Mexico State Police (NMSP) officers responded to assist, and the investigation was subsequently assumed by the NMSP Investigations Bureau.
Preliminary investigation, along with casino surveillance footage, indicates that two males, identified as 21-year-old Gerald Trujillo and 21-year-old Elias Tiberi, were inside a vehicle in the casino parking lot consuming illegal narcotics. A third male, a friend of Tiberi, was standing outside of the vehicle when Trujillo brandished a firearm and began waving it in a reckless manner.
Tiberi urged Trujillo to stop. At one point, Tiberi attempted to push the firearm away as Trujillo pointed it in his direction. Moments later, the firearm discharged, striking Elias Tiberi. Tiberi succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The third male immediately ran toward the casino and notified security personnel.
Following the shooting, Trujillo removed Tiberi from his vehicle and fled the scene in a red Ford Mustang.
At approximately 12:45 p.m., as agents searched for Trujillo, they learned he had turned himself in and was taken into custody without further incident.
Gerald Trujillo was charged with:
- – Murder (2nd Degree)
- – Negligent Use of a Deadly Weapon
- – Tampering with Evidence (2 counts)
This incident remains under active investigation by the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau.
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