Suspect arrested in killing of University of New Mexico baseball player

Published May 11, 2019

Darian Bashir, 23, was arrested after police say he shot and killed UNM baseball player Jackson Weller. (Metropolitan Detention Center)

Albuquerque police arrested a man on Friday, accusing him of killing a University of New Mexico (UNM) baseball player at a popular restaurant last weekend.

Darian Bashir, 23, was taken into custody at an apartment on Saturday and arrested without incident. He faces a count of murder in the shooting of Jackson Weller, 23.

Friends of Weller told police the former baseball player was in a fight before the shooting, but that Bashir wasn't involved, according to The Albuquerque Journal.

FORMER CIA OPERATIVE VALERIE PLAME ANNOUNCES BID FOR CONGRESS IN NEW MEXICO

Video surveillance appears to show Bashir committing the crime, officials say. Detectives say he was later seen in a car speeding away from the scene, although it's not clear if he was driving the vehicle.

Police found Weller at 2:15 a.m. lying on the street. He was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after.

UNM pitcher Jackson Weller stands in the team's locker room. He was shot and killed last weekend and police have identified a suspect. (UNM)

According to police, three witnesses saw Bashir holding a gun, and two of them reported seeing him shoot Weller and walk away.

Bashir was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Feb. 13. for allegedly firing a weapon out of a vehicle, but Judge Richard Brown released Bashir because he had "minimal criminal history" and "no felony convictions."

TEEN ARRESTED IN KILLING OF MAIL CARRIER IN NEW MEXICO

Tributes for Weller were planned at the UNM baseball team's game against UNLV on Saturday. Ray Birmingham, the coach for UNM, tweeted a picture of the team's lineup for the game, with Weller included as the starting pitcher

A large heart shaped wreath with a cross in his baseball glove were also placed on the pitcher's mound behind a large poster with Weller's name on it, the caption reading "We love you Jackson Weller."

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/suspect-arrested-in-killing-of-university-of-new-mexico-baseball-player