ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (WKRC) — Kristina Withrow, 44, has been arrested and charged with murder after admitting that she handed her handgun to her 18-year-old son, Kristian Crespin, instructing him to shoot at another woman during a heated argument.
The incident occurred on Monday, when Albuquerque Police Department homicide detectives arrested Withrow following the fatal shooting of a 36-year-old woman. Crespin fired three shots, one of which struck the victim. The woman later succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital.
Initially, Withrow claimed she was the one who fired the shot. However, after witnesses reported seeing a man flee the scene after firing the weapon, Withrow changed her story and confessed that it was her son who had pulled the trigger.
According to the police, the conflict started when Withrow, believing the victim to be homeless, told her to leave the walkway near her apartment. The woman approached, leading to an argument. Withrow, unsure if the woman was armed, retrieved her handgun and handed it to Crespin, instructing him to shoot.
Withrow has been charged with an open count of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and tampering with evidence. She is currently being held at the Metro Detention Center.
Crespin, who remains at large, faces the same charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and tampering with evidence. Police are actively searching for him.
The identity of the victim has not been released pending the notification of her next of kin, according to police.
