Inside look at Raphael Marquez's high speed chase that resulted in his death by shootout
On Feb. 25, 2020 in Belen, New Mexico State Police were chasing Raphael Marquez.
Marquez was wanted for five felony warrants and two homicides. He’s most notably known for being the suspect in a late-night crime spree in which he is believed to have kidnapped multiple women, stole multiple vehicles, and took a family hostage.
The chase stemmed from a SWAT situation with the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office.
“We were basically told that we're going to go to an address in the south valley and that there's a confidential source that has communication with an offender named Raphael Marquez,” said Deputy Ian Dunbar.
The source tells BCSO Marquez called and threatened her.
“He even made several comments that he would harm her. Um. The air unit then gets intimate or tells us information that the vehicle's leaving," said Dunbar.
The helicopter locates Marquez driving a stolen vehicle, he then parks and goes into a business.
“We decided to send a detective, a plainclothes detective inside the Burlington Coat Factory to give us a positive I.D. on Mr. Marquez,” said Dunbar
SWAT team members keep the helicopter on him.
“Mr. Marquez is driving in a manner or what we often call a heat run. He's taking turns that don't make sense. Sometimes they double back or drive in a circle, and it's a tactic that criminals have used to find out if they're being followed," said Dunbar.
During the heat run Marquez parks multiple times and checks out cars in the area. He then gets on to I-25.
“There is a chance Mr. Marquez has a residence he can go, stand or hide or whatever in Socorro, New Mexico," Dunbar said.
The SWAT team sets up spikes further down the road, Marquez hits the spikes and takes a detour in Belen. He then enters the highway on the wrong side, that's when state police get involved.
“The suspect accelerated onto I-25, driving southbound in the northbound lanes. We immediately faced three oncoming vehicles who all swerved and braked hard to avoid impact with the suspect,” said Officer Sondre Loberg, with state police.
Twenty-eight seconds later an officer spins Marquez out.
“What happens next is as he's crawling with one hand, he quickly pulls a hand from out from underneath his body, and he points it towards me as if he is presenting a firearm,” said Dunbar.
Then the officers shot Marquez. A dog goes in to check on Marquez. He's later pronounced dead at the scene.
Since his death Marquez has been identified as the suspect in the Feb. 15 Cana spa shooting.
He is also believed to be connected to a homicide that happened on Dec. 24 of last year.