- This is one family feud that got way out of hand.
Families can have an uncanny ability to turn seemingly pointless things into a fight, like food. We’ve all at least heard of an awkward Thanksgiving dinner where Aunt Clare and Uncle Frank start yelling at each other over the pecan pie’s sweetness.
Usually, though, these fights resolve with some hurt feelings and maybe a few months of not speaking to each other. It’s not like you’d murder your family member over a food argument.
Sadly, that’s what happened recently in New Mexico. A Roswell man is suspected of having fatally shot his cousin after the two got into a fight during dinner.
The subject of debate was overly spicy enchiladas.
According to police reports, Erving Gutierrez began arguing with his cousin, Nathaniel Cavazos, over the heat level of the enchiladas they were eating. The shouting match turned into fisticuffs, but the situation seemed to resolve itself peacefully in the end.
That’s when Gutierrez reportedly pulled out a handgun and shot Cavazos dead on the spot.
Gutierrez has now been arrested. The police investigation is ongoing, but he has been charged with murder.
A Family Dinner
The fatal argument started late in the evening of August 27. At the time, Gutierrez, 22, and Cavazos, 25, were at an apartment in northern Albuquerque.
The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) stated that Gutierrez had driven down from his home in Roswell. He had planned to cook and have dinner with Cavazos and another unidentified cousin.
So, the trio was at the apartment, eating their meal and having a generally good time. While they were eating, they also had some drinks, which may have contributed to the later events.
For undetermined reasons, however, Gutierrez “began antagonizing” Cavazos, court documents read. Reportedly, the argument started over the spiciness of the enchiladas the men had cooked for dinner.
Gutierrez allegedly claimed that he’d made his enchiladas hotter than Cavazos and dared the other man to eat them. His cousin retorted that they’d cooked the food together and every enchilada was equally spicy.
‘We’re Family!’
Their row soon developed into strong words and then shouting. At this point, the third cousin stepped in and tried to defuse the situation, suggesting that they take the family dogs for a walk together.
Maybe the outdoor air would help everyone cool their heads.
Gutierrez and Cavazos wouldn’t hear a word of it, however. Soon, they’d decided loud and angry words weren’t enough and started throwing punches.
Police reports seem to suggest that Cavazos initially got the upper hand in a fight. He allegedly “bloodied” Gutierrez with a punch to the face.
That pushed Gutierrez over the edge. Reportedly, he drew out the handgun he was carrying and pointed it at his cousin while yelling, “We’re family! How could you do this to me?”
With a gun in his face, Cavazos appears to have decided it was time to de-escalate. The APD stated that Cavazos tried to walk away from the fight to defuse the situation.
Gutierrez disagreed. He reportedly fired multiple shots at his cousin from 10 feet away, of which three or four hit him in the back.
Cavazos died at the scene.
‘I Didn’t Want Him to Kill Me’
Following the shooting, Gutierrez fled. The APD was alerted about the events at around 11:30 p.m., presumably by the third cousin, and found Cavazos dead.
The third cousin told investigators that he later received Snapchat messages from Gutierrez asking whether Cavazos was really dead. According to his testimony, Gutierrez also claimed that Cavazos had threatened his life at an unspecified time earlier.
“I did not want to kill him but I didn’t want him to kill me,” Gutierrez said.
The APD started looking for Gutierrez, but they didn’t have to. He walked into a police station in downtown Albuquerque himself the following day and surrendered to the police.
The investigation into the case is still ongoing. For the time being, Gutierrez has been charged with an open count of murder.