Who is Porfirio Brown? Bodycam footage shows teen charged with 13-year-old's murder claim it was a drive-by shooting
QUESTA, NEX MEXICO: A bodycam footage made public the horrifying incident that led to the death of 13-year-old Amber Archuleta, who was reportedly fatally shot by her own friend, Porfirio Brown, 14.
According to the authorities, the incident took place on July 28 when Brown shot Archuleta with a handgun at a home in Questa, New Mexico.
Archuleta unfortunately was pronounced dead after authorities' first responders arrived on the scene. The incident also marked the second time in New Mexico history that an alleged gunman’s parents had been arrested after their child was accused of a crime, Law and Crime reports.
What charges does Porfirio Brown's father face now?
Profirio's father, 39-year-old William Brown has been charged after he allegedly left his guns unsecured in his home, which allowed his son to easily get hold of the firearm.
“Most of them are secured,” William Brown allegedly told law enforcement during his arrest, adding, “I have a few that are out.”
William Brown was charged with negligent making a firearm accessible to a minor resulting in death.
Witnesses speak about the crime during police interrogation
“We were having a good old time,” a 14-year-old girl told the police. She claimed that she, Archuleta, Archuleta’s brother and Porfirio Brown were all hanging out and listening to music.
She recalled, “Next thing you know, [Brown] pulls out a handgun. He points it at her, and she went to take it away from her face. All the sudden you just hear a boom… I look and I see her fall to the ground, and she just starts to bleed.”
Porfirio Brown dragged the victim's body outside the home
According to a press release from New Mexico State Police, Porfirio Brown pulled the girl’s body outside of the home after the shooting. Archuleta’s brother told police that after the incident, the shooter "said he was going to kill himself."
The boy added, "He kept asking me and [the 14-year-old witness] to get her to the road to say somebody drove by and shot her in a drive-by.”
The 14-year-old girl told investigators a similar story, alleging Porfirio Brown urged her to tell police he was uninvolved, and only learned of the shooting when Archuleta’s brother knocked on his door asking for help.
“My friend came knocking on my door, and said someone shot his sister,” the bodycam footage captures Porfirio Brown telling the police, “I ran over there and started carrying her.”
Officials initially started their probe by following Porfirio Brown’s claims
In the beginning, officials started their investigation based on Porfirio Brown’s claims, by looking along the road for any evidence.
When they spoke with his father, William Brown, investigators heard a similar narrative. “I was at work, he called me,” the newly-released footage captured William Brown explaining to first responders. William added, “He said that there was a girl that was shot… He said it was a black SUV.”
The video shows investigators joining the pieces of what really unfolded, eventually telling William Brown, “As far as a black SUV, that’s not what happened.”
What charges does Porfirio Brown face?
The video showed a scuffle between Porfirio Brown and law enforcement before the teen's arrest. He has been charged with first-degree murder, two counts of tampering with evidence, and two counts of assault on a police officer. A judge later reduced the murder charge to second-degree.
After he was placed in the back of a squad car, a dash-camera video recording captured him saying, “They ain’t got nothing on me. I ain’t worried.”
Prior to William Brown's arrest, body camera video captured an officer saying to other responding officers, “There’s a lot of guns in that house, none of them are secured.”
Where is Porfirio Brown now?
Porfirio Brown was booked into a juvenile detention center following his arrest. He’s since been released to live with his grandparents, is being homeschooled, and is required to wear a GPS monitor.
The boy has also been ordered to refrain from contact with his father.