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Suspect in murder of UNM professor and grad student had history of stalking

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – The suspect in the murders of a University of New Mexico English professor and a Bernalillo High School teacher had a history of stalking his ex-girlfriends according to the Albuquerque Journal.

Police say Ralph Montoya shot Hector Torres and Stefania Grey, who was his ex-girlfriend, on Sunday. Grey had filed for a restraining order against Montoya after an incident in January when Montoya allegedly attacked her at Torres' house.

Montoya plead guilty to lighting a previous ex-girlfriend's car on fire in 1995. Restraining orders were filed against him by two other women, one in 1998 in Las Cruces and one in 2005 in Rio Rancho.

Montoya has been charged with two counts of murder.
According to an arrest warrant, Montoya walked into an attorney's office Monday and said he killed two people the day before and was turning himself in.

Elaine Baumgartel was KUNM's News Director from 2013 to 2019. She was local Morning Edition host from 2007 through 2012 and she regularly hosted the station's live news and public affairs show for some years. Elaine originally came on board at KUNM as a volunteer and student employee in 2003.