Baca cops a plea

By Mike Marino
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Arthur Baca Jr. pleaded guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter this week, just as jury selection was scheduled to take place in the 13th District Judicial Court for the trial of the murder of his father on Aug. 12, 2006.

In the charges lodged against him in a grand jury indictment on Sept. 6, 2006, Baca Jr. was accused of stabbing Arthur Baca Sr. in the leg during an argument that broke out on Interstate Highway 40 near Exit 126 on their way from Albuquerque to Gallup. During the altercation, the elder Baca was stabbed in the leg by his son and left on the side of the road to die. Baca Jr. was arraigned on Sept. 22, 2006, on charges of second degree murder and when he showed up in court this week, he entered a last-minute plea bargain. The elder Baca was stabbed with a knife in the popliteal vein near the femural artery which can cause bleeding to death in less than 30 minutes.

During the original investigation of the case, it was discovered that Joyce Estrada, girlfriend of Baca Sr. was also along for the ride that night and when first interviewed she denied any knowledge or involvement in the incident and claimed they had a flat tire at milepost 108 and Baca Sr. was last seen walking down the freeway. Baca Jr. also denied any involvement in the murder until both of them were confronted with evidence taken from the crime scene. At that point both said there was an altercation between Baca and his son who said he stabbed his father in the leg but didn’t mean to. Baca Jr. and Estrada then left the scene, leaving Baca’s father behind at Exit 126 to die.

Baca Jr. and Estrada were both arrested, and Baca was charged with second degree murder, while Estrada was charged with tampering with evidence. There are allegations of a history of domestic abuse on the part of Baca Sr., and Baca Jr. said his father started the altercation that led to his death.

Baca Jr. will now undergo a 60-day diagnostic evaluation to give the court added information for the purposes of sentencing, while Estrada will face charges of tampering with evidence, a fourth degree felony.