Dulce Man Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder

ALBUQUERQUE - A Dulce man pleaded guilty in federal court to shooting and killing another man.

According to court documents, in the early morning hours of June 5, 2024, Damian Amarillo, 21, a member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, shot and killed John Doe in a neighborhood in Dulce, New Mexico, within the exterior boundaries of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. The shooting followed an earlier confrontation at Amarillo's residence. After John Doe left the residence, Amarillo chased him through the neighborhood, assaulted him, and then shot him. John Doe died from his injuries at the scene. Witnesses observed multiple individuals fleeing after the gunshots.

Amarillo pleaded guilty to second degree murder and remains in custody pending sentencing. He faces up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office and the Jicarilla Apache Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case.