Suspect accused of fatally shooting man whose service dog barked at him may be tied to second murder: Police

A New Mexico man accused of shooting a service dog and his owner is now being investigated for his possible connection to a second murder months earlier, police said.

On Oct. 8, authorities took Xavier Marquez, 22, into custody in Gallup on a homicide warrant in connection to the fatal shooting of Shawn Lynch on Sept. 22.

According to detectives from the Albuquerque Police Department, Marquez was sitting in a vehicle outside his home around 4 p.m. when Lynch, 34, passed by on foot with his service dog, Yessica. The two men, KRQE reported, got into a dispute after the dog barked at Marquez. Police alleged Marquez allegedly shot the animal, and then turned the gun on Lynch, firing a bullet into his head.

Lynch later died at a local hospital. His dog, Yessica, is expected to survive, the Albuquerque Journal reported..

Neighbors allegedly picked Marquez out of a photo lineup and claimed he changed clothing and fled the scene on a moped, according to the newspaper.

Marquez faces an open count of murder, shooting at an occupied dwelling, and extreme cruelty to animals, police said

Investigators are also looking into Marquez’s possible involvement in the June 22 shooting of Daniel Bustos, 34, at an Albuquerque motel on June 22, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

In that case, officers responded to a call about a dead man found in a parking lot at the hotel just after 3 a.m.