ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque police have arrested Donald Duquette, who admitted to shooting a man on I-40 near the Big-I Monday. The 51-year-old turned himself in to New Mexico State Police late Monday and was interviewed by the Albuquerque Police Department homicide detectives.
Duquette was charged with an open count of murder and shooting at or from a motor vehicle.
Monday, police received a call about a suspicious vehicle on the flyover between I-40 east and I-25 south around 5 a.m. When they got to the truck, they found a man dead in the driver seat.
Police say they found the man with gunshot wounds but had no idea when the shooting took place. “Unfortunately, that individual died at the scene, so a full homicide call out was put at that point,” says APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos.
According to a criminal complaint, Duquette was following a female who he met on Sunday evening. He says he felt like he needed to save her from his friends who wanted to sell her into slavery. Duquette says he convinced the female to stay in a hotel and gave her his friend’s vehicle to drive while he followed her.
The complaint states that Duquette became paranoid after he thought he was being followed and claimed the white Ford Ranger tried to run him off the road. The complaint then says Duquette fired five times at the vehicle.
Police have not yet released the identity of the victim.
According to the complaint, Duquette admitted to smoking methamphetamine and marijuana at his friend’s house on Sunday evening. Duquette was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center Tuesday morning. Duquette is a former medic with Albuquerque Ambulance.
Monday’s investigation held up traffic during the morning commute. I-40 at Fourth Street had to be diverted and the north and south on-ramps to I-25 from east I-40 had to be closed as well.
