ALBUQUERQUE – APD detectives have charged Zachary Babitz for the July 31, 2024, robbery of a Wells Fargo bank in Northeast Albuquerque. Babitz has been identified by Santa Fe police as the suspect in a homicide investigation involving the murder of an elderly man during a carjacking on August 6.
APD robbery detectives were investigating the July 31 robbery and attempting to determine the identity of the suspect when they learned about the murder in Santa Fe on August 6. Detectives were informed by Santa Fe police that the murder suspect was headed toward Albuquerque. Later that night, Santa Fe police shared tentative identification of Babitz and the location in Albuquerque of the jeep he stole. Detectives established a perimeter around the vehicle and conducted surveillance.
During their surveillance, APD detectives gathered additional details about Babitz’s physical appearance, current and previous home addresses, and a gold-colored Chevrolet Tahoe registered to him. A robbery detective recognized these descriptors and noted they matched witness accounts from the bank robbery on July 31.
Although Babitz was not located during surveillance, robbery detectives began investigating his background and searched license plate readers for his gold Chevrolet Tahoe. They discovered that Babitz’s vehicle was in the area of the bank when it was robbed and that he lived near the Wells Fargo at 11199 Montgomery Blvd., N.E.
APD detectives shared information with Santa Fe police and learned that Babitz was on probation from an armed robbery conviction. He had been required to wear a GPS ankle monitor but had cut it off before committing the murder in Santa Fe. However, he was wearing it during the bank robbery on July 31.
The GPS data confirmed Babitz's presence at the bank when it was robbed at 1:55 p.m. Detectives obtained photos of the bank robber which matched photos from MVD records and jail booking slips.
Babitz is charged with armed robbery and tampering with evidence related to the bank robbery.
Santa Fe police have charged Babitz with murder, armed robbery, unlawful taking of a vehicle or motor vehicle, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
