ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A 26-year-old Albuquerque man with 14 outstanding warrants is now in police custody, accused of stealing a police bait car and shooting at officers. Christian Wood was arrested by APD Thursday afternoon at a home on Delamar Avenue NE, near Carlisle and Comanche.
Wood is the first of APD’s 25 suspects with felony warrants to be arrested following a spotlight on the metro-area’s warrant backlog at a news conference Monday. The city is hoping for a multi-million dollar fund from the state to help pay for overtime city officials say is needed to crackdown on a backlog of outstanding warrants.
APD officers escorted Wood into the city’s Prisoner Transport Center Thursday afternoon. Wood only said “no” to reporters questions.
APD says Wood stole a city-owned bait car in the area of Gibson and Yale in southeast Albuquerque on January 21, 2023. Police have accused Wood and two other suspects of driving to 1200 Dickerson Street, then attempting to dismantle the car. While at that location, APD says Wood stole another car and took off from the area.
Detectives tracked Wood to an area near Copper and San Mateo, where he is accused of pointing a firearm at officers. Police say Wood fired one shot at the officers, who were not hurt. Wood escaped from police pursuit that night.
APD says Wood and a woman were taken into custody Thursday afternoon. The unnamed female suspect was wanted an outstanding warrant related to an auto theft case, according to APD. Investigators also found another stolen car at the property APD says he was arrested at, along with a firearm in Wood’s possession. Police took him and the other suspect into custody without incident.
Wood is facing two counts of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and aggravated fleeing among other charges, according to APD. The department also says he will face “additional auto theft charges” in relation to the other stolen vehicle found on the property Wood was arrested on Thursday.