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“Breaking Bad” boosts Albuquerque tourism

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:07:00 +0000

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A fast-food burrito chain in Albuquerque has become an international tourist attraction as people come from all over the world to see the spot where a fictional drug trafficker runs his organization. A pastry shop sells doughnuts topped with blue candy designed to resemble crystal meth. A beauty store has a similar product — crystal blue bathing salts.

As "Breaking Bad" finishes filming its fifth and final season in Albuquerque, the popularity of the show is providing a boost to the economy and creating a dilemma for local tourism officials as they walk the fine line of profiting from a show that centers around drug trafficking, addiction and violence. "Breaking Bad" follows the fictional character Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher turned meth lord.

Albuquerque has seen an unexpected jump in tourists visiting popular sites from the show and local businesses cashing in on its popularity. Tourists are also flocking to sites that before the show were unknown and unimportant: the suburban home of White, played by Bryan Cranston; a car wash that is a front for a money-laundering operation on the series; a rundown motel used frequently for filming; and the real-life burrito joint, which is a fast food chicken restaurant on the show. The Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau has even created a website of the show's most popular places around town to help tourists navigate, and ABQ Trolley Company sold out all its "BaD" tours last year at $60 a ticket.

NM teen shooter had planned Wal-Mart shooting spree

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:51:00 +0000

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- The New Mexico teenager accused of gunning down his family over the weekend had reloaded his guns after the attacks and planned to go to a Wal-Mart and randomly shoot people, authorities said Tuesday.

Instead, 15-year-old Nehemiah Griego texted a picture of his dead mother to his 12-year-old girlfriend, then spent much of Saturday with the girl, they said. The two went to the church where his father had been a pastor, and Griego eventually admitted killing his parents and three younger siblings.

Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston said Griego had planned the attack for a week, but it's unclear if he ever actually went to a Wal-Mart or why he changed his mind. The teen said he had planned to randomly shoot more people, then die in a shootout with law enforcement, according to authorities.

Griego told detectives he also contemplated killing his girlfriend's parents, Houston said at a news conference.

The teen was set to appear in adult court Tuesday on charges of murder and child abuse resulting in death. He was arrested Saturday at his family's home in a rural area southwest of Albuquerque.

New Mexico teen who killed family is idenitified

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:29:00 +0000

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Authorities say the New Mexico teenager accused of fatally shooting his parents and three younger siblings had never been in trouble with the law.

A spokesman for the state child welfare agency had no contacts with 15-year-old Nehemiah Griego or his family.

A records check also indicated the teen had never been involved with the juvenile justice system before being charged over the weekend killing his five family members.

Among the victims was his father, Greg Griego, a pastor who once served at one of Albuquerque's largest Christian churches. He was also well-known for his spiritual work with firefighters and jail inmates.

Investigators continued processing evidence at the Griego home on Monday. They say there was no history of any emergency calls to the home in the recent past.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

A horrific scene awaited officers responding to an emergency call at a New Mexico home - five family members dead, all with multiple gunshot wounds. The victims were later identified as parents and their three young children and the suspected attacker as their 15-year-old son.

Teenager kills 5 people, including 3 children in New Mexico

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 18:35:00 +0000

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A teenage boy fatally shot two adults and three children inside an Albuquerque home, authorities said Sunday.

The boy was arrested and booked on murder and other charges in connection with the shootings Saturday night, Bernalillo County sheriff's spokesman Aaron Williamson said.

The victims' identities haven't been released, and the boy's motive and connection to the five victims weren't immediately unknown. Williamson said investigators were trying to determine if the victims were related.

Investigators also were seeking to determine who owned several guns that were found at the home, one of which was a semi-automatic military-style rifle.

Authorities weren't releasing the name or age of the teenager accused in the attack. He was booked on two counts of murder and three counts of child abuse resulting in death.