Man Charged In Ex-Girlfriend's Slaying Found Dead In NM: Police

SPRING, TX — The man charged with murder in the shooting of his ex-girlfriend Wednesday in Spring was found dead Friday by New Mexico State Police outside Albuquerque, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Jose Gallegos, 24, was charged with the murder of Nitzi Valencia, 28, on Thursday. He called the Harris County Sheriff's Department on Friday and confessed to the murder, telling police that he was in New Mexico and would be dead before police could find him, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

Shortly after the call, New Mexico State Police found his car on tribal land outside Albuquerque. Gallegos was dead inside the car with what police believed was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

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Valencia was shot and killed around 11 p.m. Wednesday night, and the shooter fled the scene shortly after, police said. Another person in the apartment suffered a minor injury from a bullet that grazed him.