Charges filed in Christmas Eve slaying

Chris Barge, Rocky Mountain News

Published January 4, 2007 at midnight

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Albert Gallegos showed up at his older brother's house Christmas Eve with blood on his hands and confessed that he'd just killed his ex-wife, according to his arrest affidavit.

He then fled the state and wound up ingesting an entire bottle of Tylenol PM before crashing a stolen car in Los Angeles, police said Wednesday.

A suicide/apology note was found inside his niece's wrecked Pontiac Grand Am.

Adams County prosecutors filed criminal charges Wednesday against Gallegos, 32, who was hospitalized for several days before being transferred to the Los Angeles County Jail on Friday.

According to police, Natisha Gallegos was "brutally attacked" in her Commerce City apartment Christmas Eve morning. She had been stabbed at least 60 times.

Albert Gallegos is charged with first-degree murder after deliberation, felony murder, second-degree burglary and violation of a protection order. If convicted of either murder charge, he could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

Friends of Gallegos offered police information about the crime after seeing media accounts of the victim's family pleading for Gallegos to turn himself in.

Shortly after the slaying, Gallegos went to the Denver home of his older brother, Robert Gallegos, and asked to borrow clothes and money, according to the police affidavit, which gave the following account.

Family members said Albert Gallegos appeared "jumpy" and had blood and cuts on his hands when he arrived at his brother's home.

"I just need some money," he told his brother. "I messed up bad. I'll never bother you again."

Robert Gallegos took his brother to the bank and gave him all the money in his account, $200.

Afterward, Albert Gallegos repeated, "I messed up bad," then gave his brother a hug and said, "I love you, man."

"What the hell's going on?" Robert Gallegos said.

"Man, I just killed Tish," Albert Gallegos answered.

Robert Gallegos told his brother not to say that, after which the suspect climbed in the Grand Am and drove away.

Robert Gallegos reported the slaying to Denver police, telling them he didn't know where his brother was headed.

It turned out that Albert Gallegos was bound for California.

"It's our belief that he bought Tylenol PM at a Walgreen's in Los Angeles on the night of Dec. 25 - Christmas - and that some time on Dec. 26 he took it with the intention of killing himself," said Commerce City police Detective Mike Saunders.

Commerce City detectives flew to Los Angeles last week, where Gallegos had been listed in critical condition at Encino Tarzana Medical Center. They searched and processed the car he was driving.

Gallegos' condition greatly improved while detectives were there and they were able to interview him.

"I'm advised that he has waived extradition and that we have been given until Jan. 17 to pick him up," Adams County Assistant District Attorney Michael Goodbee said. "He'll be advised shortly thereafter."

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