Troubled owner strikes deal with city

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - One of Albuquerque's most notorious slumlords struck a deal with the city Monday that would ban him from ever renting out property in the county.

Not only can't Ray Trujillo be a landlord in Bernalillo County ever again, he agreed to sell his Western Palisades apartments on Atrisco Drive NW, scene of a near tragedy in December.

City leaders said they got what they wanted.

"We did not want Ray Trujillo to be a landlord in Albuquerque ever again," city Public Safety Director Darren White told KRQE News 13.

Trujillo's tenants said their landlord didn't fix anything, but it was their nonworking gas heaters in the 32-unit apartment complex that finally got Trujillo in trouble. In December 10 of his tenants fell sick with carbon monoxide poisoning after using their ovens to stay warm.

"We lived like rats," former tenant Charles Perez said.

Perez, along with more than 70 of his neighbors, was forced to move out when Trujillo failed to fix the problems. That led the city to shut down the complex.

On Monday morning, Trujillo struck a deal with the city.

Instead of facing more than 80 charges, he pleaded no-contest to five charges for not having working heaters, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.

He'll pay back more than $25,000 to the city to cover the cost of moving all his tenants out. He's also banned from being a landlord.

"I feel that justice hasn't been done," said Perez who believes that punishment isn't enough.

But city leaders said had the case gone to trial, Trujillo likely would've spent some time behind bars. He still would be able to go back to business as a landlord.

He has agreed to 40 hours of community service at two local homeless shelters with the majority of the time spent at a shelter that helped out his tenants after they moved out.

Trujillo will also be on unsupervised probation for a year.

"I think this is far better than we would've done had we gone to trial," White said. "I understand some folks may have frustration with Ray Trujillo. I had plenty of frustration with Ray Trujillo.

"My goal was to never have to deal with Ray Trujillo again, and we were able to accomplish that."

In May 2007 a young girl died in the Western Palisades after her family lit candles because they didn't have electricity. A civil suit is pending against Trujillo alleging wrongful death and negligence.

A city employee said Trujillo's plea today should help that family's case.