Santa Fe, New Mexico — A close-knit community is grappling with shock and grief following a devastating incident of fratricide that has left a family shattered. The Santa Fe Police Department (SFPD) has confirmed the arrest of 66-year-old Robert Valdez, accused of murdering his 61-year-old brother, Michael Valdez, in a tragic altercation that unfolded late Monday evening, July 21, 2025.

According to an official SFPD news release, officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of Calle La Resolana around 8:40 p.m. on Monday after a caller, identified as Michael Valdez’s girlfriend, reported finding him unresponsive at the rear of the residence. She informed authorities that Michael had been with his brother, Robert Valdez, who was no longer present when she discovered the body.

Upon arrival, officers found Michael Valdez deceased, with signs pointing to foul play. Witnesses reported seeing a man, later identified as Robert Valdez, leaving the scene in a maroon Ford Maverick, appearing to be covered in blood. Shortly after, 911 dispatchers received a report of a reckless driver matching the vehicle’s description in the area of Cerrillos Road and Herrera Drive. The caller noted the driver had struck a barrier and was operating the vehicle erratically.

Responding officers located the maroon Ford Maverick and detained the driver, confirmed to be Robert Valdez, who was allegedly covered in blood at the time of contact. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Santa Fe Police Department for questioning. Following an interview with detectives, Robert Valdez was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He was booked into the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Center early Tuesday, July 22, 2025, where he remains in custody.

The motive behind the fatal altercation between the brothers remains unclear, and the circumstances leading to Michael’s death are still under investigation. Court records indicate that Robert Valdez has no prior criminal history in New Mexico, though his daughter filed for a restraining order against both parents in 2018, alleging mental and physical abuse. The order was granted but expired in 2019 and was not renewed.

Robert Valdez, a longtime Santa Fe resident, is noted in public records as a former sergeant in the Air Force Civilian Service and a former engineering coordinator at the New Mexico Department of Transportation. He attended Santa Fe High School, the University of New Mexico, and Santa Fe Community College, according to a Facebook account believed to be his. His address is listed in the Hopewell-Mann neighborhood.

The tragedy marks the fourth homicide in Santa Fe in 2025, according to SFPD crime statistics, following five homicides reported in the city in 2024. Neighbors expressed disbelief, describing the Valdez family as longstanding members of the community. “This is just heartbreaking,” one resident shared. “You never imagine something like this happening between brothers.”

The Santa Fe Police Department is urging anyone with additional information about the incident to contact them as detectives work to uncover the full details of this tragic event. As the community mourns the loss of Michael Valdez, the legal process moves forward, leaving a family and neighborhood to navigate the profound sorrow of a life lost and a bond irrevocably broken.