ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Police arrested a 33-year-old man Thursday evening for the Aug. 29 murder of a woman in southeast Albuquerque.

Houston Coate is charged with the murder of Barbara Chavez in the 100 block of Valencia.

On the day of the shooting, an officer in the area heard several gunshots. As they tried to explore the area with the help of other officers, two people stopped them and took them to a woman who had been shot.

They identified the woman as Chavez. She died at the scene of the accident.

According to an investigation, Coate knocked on the door of an apartment to retrieve some items he had left inside. He briefly spoke to a few people inside and then allegedly fired shots into the apartment, killing Chavez.

Detectives located Coate and arrested him after he attempted to run away. He is now in custody for:

• murder
• Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
• Shots fired at an inhabited apartment
• Felon in possession of a firearm