Crime
Por Vida Tattoo Owner Bale Sisneros Fatally Shot in Albuquerque
Currently, APD officers are actively working to locate the suspected shooter.
On the morning of November 14, 2024, around 8:35 a.m., gunfire erupted at the intersection of 4th Street SW and Coal Avenue SW in Albuquerque.
Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officers quickly responded to reports of a shooting at the Por Vida Tattoo Shop, where they discovered a victim who had suffered gunshot wounds.
According to witnesses, the shop’s owner, identified as Bale Sisneros, was tragically killed in the incident.
Hundreds of mourners gathered at the corner of Coal and 3rd Street to remember Bale Sisneros, a beloved and highly skilled tattoo artist who tragically lost his life in a shooting.
Family members recounted that a man entered Por Vida Tattoo Shop and specifically asked for Bale by name. When Bale stepped forward, the suspect shot him and quickly fled the scene.
A security camera captured a masked individual leaving the shop, and a still image of this suspect has been shared with authorities.
Bale Sisneros was instrumental in establishing the current Por Vida Tattoo location, a spacious 15,000-square-foot warehouse that houses not only the tattoo studio but also a tattoo supply store.
Known as a teacher and an advocate for the tattooing craft, Bale had built a strong community of fans who admired his professional, artistic style.
Currently, APD officers are actively working to locate the suspected shooter.
Further updates are expected as reporters arrive on the scene, and investigators continue their search for the person responsible for this fatal shooting.
Crime
Security guard Yahaira Melendez charged with murder after shooting inside IHOP restaurant in Center City Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A security guard has been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at a Center City IHOP over the weekend that left a 43-year-old man dead.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday at the IHOP located in the 1300 block of Walnut Street, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
When officers arrived, they discovered a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim, who police say was unhoused, was transported to Jefferson Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Investigators report that the victim had been causing a disturbance inside the restaurant prior to the shooting. As security personnel escorted him outside, he allegedly turned and spat on one of the guards.
That guard, identified as 38-year-old Yahaira Melendez, allegedly responded by drawing her firearm and shooting the victim once in the head.
Police say preliminary findings indicate the victim was not armed at the time of the incident.
Melendez, a mother of three, was taken into custody and has been charged with murder and related offenses.
In a statement Melendez’s family expressed shock and disbelief over the situation, writing in part:
“We are shocked and devastated by the tragic events that occurred at the IHOP while she was working security. We know she would never harm anyone unless she felt she had no other choice to protect herself or others.”
The shooting has left nearby workers and residents shaken.
“Escalation — where was the escalation?” asked Karr Anderson, who works next door to the restaurant. “Security guards need to know how to withhold, how to show restraint.”
Philadelphia Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether proper security protocols were followed and what led to the use of deadly force.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased pending family notification.