EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Court documents filed against a man charged with Murder in Northeast El Paso early Wednesday morning indicate the disturbance between a victim and suspect began when the suspect’s dog urinated on the victim’s property and the victim allegedly retaliated by urinating on the suspect’s property.
Eduardo Blanco, 28, is charged with murder in the death of 26-year-old Atravius Burkes in the 8900 block of Robert. He is being held in the El Paso County Detention Facility on a $750,00 bond and an outstanding warrant which he has a $4,000 bond. Blanco claims self-defense in the shooting.
The incident began around 1 a.m. when a neighbor called to report her next-door neighbor, identified as Blanco, pointing a gun at her daughter and Burkes, who was her daughter’s boyfriend, according to court documents.
When EPPD officers arrived to receive a report from Burkes and his girlfriend, they were not on the scene. Due to a lack of evidence or reporting parties, the officers left the area.
Approximately an hour and a half later, at 2:42 a.m., EPPD officers patrolling the area heard multiple gunshots and contacted emergency dispatchers. Seconds later, 911 calls began pouring in from neighbors reporting a shooting in the 8900 block of Robert. Upon arrival, they located Burkes’ body in front of his girlfriend’s home with multiple gunshot wounds.
Blanco approached officers and allegedly admitted to shooting Burkes with his AK-47. He told officers where to find his weapon and claimed he was shooting at Burke in self-defense after Burke allegedly pulled a gun on him.
The affidavit says the disagreement began when Blanco’s dog urinated on the next-door neighbor’s house, and Burkes confronted Blanco about it. That’s when Burkes allegedly urinated on Blanco’s home, and Blanco pointed the AK-47 at him. This incident is what prompted the first 911 call at 1:09 a.m.
According to police, Blanco also admitted he shot Burkes ‘in self-defense’ in a 911 call immediately after the shooting. Blanco told officers that Burkes displayed a gun in his waistband, and he fired several shots at Burke after Burke shot at him first.
The affidavit says Burkes’ girlfriend took his weapon after the shooting and hid it inside the couch in her home. The gun was not loaded when officers found it. According to the affidavit, EPPD detectives did not locate any bullet casings matching Burkes’ handgun caliber at the scene, contradicting Blanco’s initial statement.
A family member of Blanco’s reached out to KTSM saying Blanco’s girlfriend, who was present at the time of the altercation, was hit by a ricocheted bullet fired from Burkes’ direction. After the initial confrontation between the pair earlier in the evening, they claim Burkes left the home and returned with a friend to confront Blanco. The police affidavit doesn’t mention anyone else as a witness to the crime or any additional injuries.
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