ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO — Authorities have released body camera footage showing the arrest of the man accused of killing two auto parts store employees last month, in which he claims the shooting was self-defense and that he doesn't "regret anything."
Ismael Tena, 27, faces two counts of murder for the September 14 shooting at an O'Reilly Auto Parts in Albuquerque. The victims were identified as 47-year-old Richard Newman and 18-year-old Jesus Valdez.
The Shooting and Competing Narratives
The deadly confrontation began over a dispute about an oil filter. According to investigators, who spoke with Tena's father, the conflict started when employees told Tena he could not get free oil after an exchange. Tena allegedly grabbed several containers of oil and walked out. When employees Newman and Valdez followed him, Tena retrieved a gun from his truck and shot both men.
In the newly released bodycam video, Tena presents a different version of events to the arresting deputy.
“We tried to get a refund for the oil and the filter, and they didn’t want to give us the refund for the... oil,” Tena explains in the video. “So I told them I would just walk out with it. When I’m walking out with it, they both came out and one of them started pushing me.”
A Claim of Self-Defense
Tena, who called 911 himself after the shooting, repeatedly told the deputy he acted in self-defense because he was scared for his life.
“I already told him too, ‘if you put your hands on me, I will shoot you,’ and they didn’t listen, dude,” Tena says in the footage. “I had to get my gun to get him away from me. I’m not trying to kill him, but I was trying to get him away from me, man.”
Despite claiming he wasn't trying to kill the men, Tena expressed no remorse for his actions. “I really don’t regret anything I’ve done, man. When I’m... trying to prevent somebody from hurting me, man,” he told the deputy.
Suspect's History of Shootings
This is not the first time Tena has been involved in a shooting where he claimed self-defense. In October 2024, he called 911 to report that he had shot and wounded a homeless man who he alleged was breaking into his vehicle. Court documents also show Tena was involved in a road rage shootout in 2023. He was never convicted in either of those prior cases.
Tena remains in custody awaiting trial for the two murder charges and is scheduled to be arraigned next week.
For more self-defense claims, check out our video here:
