Posted on 08/31/2026 5:27:51 AM PDT by V_TWIN
A New Mexico man allegedly gunned down his cousin during a drunken argument over green enchiladas, according to reports.
Ervin Joaquin Gutierrez, 22, was cuffed on murder charges for allegedly killing his cousin, Nathaniel Cavazos, at an Albuquerque apartment complex on Thursday evening, according to police.
Gutierrez had arrived at the apartment that afternoon to visit Cavazos, 25, and another one of their cousins, and the three bought groceries and returned to the residence to cook green enchiladas and drink alcohol, according to an affidavit obtained by NBC News.
Gutierrez was repeatedly arguing that the chile on his enchiladas was hotter than the chiles on Cavazos’s plate and challenged his relative to try some of his.
Cavazos then contended that they were all eating the same enchiladas, so there wouldn’t be a difference in the spice level, the affidavit said.
Tensions began to escalate even as the third cousin suggested they take his dog for a walk to cool off. While outside, Cavazos and Gutierrez got into a fistfight, the third cousin told investigators.
Cavazos pummeled his spice-obsessed cousin hard enough to leave him bleeding and began walking away from the fight.
Gutierrez then whipped out a handgun and said, “We’re family! We’re family! How could you do this to me?” before blasting three or four gunshots toward his cousin, striking him in the back, the witness told police.
Cops arrived around 11 p.m. and found Cavazos dead in a pool of blood on a walkway between apartment buildings, the outlet reported.
A handgun belonging to Cavazos was also found roughly ten yards from his body.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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Hispanics having hot blood is no myth.
Throw in alcohol and he you go.
“Put down the chalupa!”
“ Gutierrez was repeatedly arguing that the chile on his enchiladas was hotter than the chiles on Cavazos’s plate and challenged his relative to try some of his.”
In fairness, those are fighting words in NM that justifies lethal force.
At least it wasn’t something minor like money or infidelity.
Uh oh. Cold chicken nugget flashback trigger. Somebody gots to pay!
Alcohol was involved....
Legend has it that some Texans hanged a New Yorker over picante sauce.
When i lived there people debated red vs green chile. Now its getting into altercations over gradations of green.
Are you a mexiCAN...or are you a MexiCAN’T???
Rule #1. Never get into a fist fight with a man with a gun, even if you win the fist fight.
There are very few things i can think of that would lead me to gunning down a relative....but bad enchiladas is defiantly one of them.
BTW, could they at least post the recipe.
“We’re family! We’re family! How could you do this to me?” before blasting three or four gunshots toward his cousin, striking him in the back, the witness told police.
Well, they used to use obsidian knives and cut the heart out of an enemy while he was still alive and eat it. But not about hot sauce. Anyway, this case seems to be self defense. Sort of, maybe a bit overkill. I would have just shot his kneecaps.
So I guess that’s one vote for “no quiero”.
“We’re family! We’re family! How could you do this to me?”
It probably sounded closer to “¡Somos familia! ¡Somos familia! ¿Cómo pudiste hacerme esto?”
EC
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