Albuquerque police charge two men in 2020 murder case

Albuquerque police have charged two men in connection with the 2020 murder of Genoveva Paiz. Angelo Cuellar-Salazar, 32, and Ryan Mathis, 39, face murder charges following the reopening of the case by a new detective.

Investigators state that the motive for the killing was linked to a fraudulent scheme to obtain a $10,000 COVID-19 small business loan. Police allege that Mathis introduced Paiz to Cuellar-Salazar to facilitate further scam attempts.

According to the Albuquerque Police Department, Paiz died following a shooting at Mathis’ home on July 29, 2020. Detectives claim the suspects bound the victim's body and concealed it within a piece of furniture. The charges were finalized after detectives obtained new digital evidence and conducted fresh interviews.