Santa Fe Man Robert Valdez Arrested for Brother’s Murder
A Santa Fe man has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder after police say he killed his brother on Monday night.
Robert Valdez, 66, was booked into the Santa Fe County jail early Tuesday morning. According to the Santa Fe County Magistrate Court, he is accused of murdering his brother, Michael Valdez, 61.
Santa Fe police responded around 8:40 p.m. Monday to a call reporting an unresponsive male at a residence in the 1000 block of Calle La Resolana. A woman told officers she had discovered her boyfriend, Michael Valdez, dead at the rear of the home. She also stated that Michael had been with his brother, Robert, who was no longer at the scene.
Witnesses reported seeing a man, believed to be Robert Valdez, covered in blood and leaving the residence in a maroon Ford Maverick. A short time later, 911 dispatchers received a report of a reckless driver matching the vehicle’s description. The car had struck a barrier and was seen driving erratically in the area of Cerrillos Road and Herrera Drive.
Police located the vehicle, stopped it, and arrested Robert Valdez without incident.
Valdez is a longtime Santa Fe resident. A Facebook profile appearing to belong to him shows he previously worked with the Air Force Civilian Service and the New Mexico Department of Transportation. He also attended Santa Fe High School and later studied at the University of New Mexico and Santa Fe Community College.
While Valdez has no criminal history in New Mexico, records show he was previously named in a 2018 restraining order filed by his daughter, alleging past mental and physical abuse. The order expired in 2019 and was not renewed.
Michael Valdez’s death marks the fourth homicide in Santa Fe so far in 2025. Last year, the city recorded five homicides.
The investigation into the killing remains ongoing, with authorities yet to release further details regarding motive or evidence.
