APD arrests man after barricade incident at vacant Albuquerque apartments

A vacant northeast Albuquerque apartment complex that city officials shut down as a problem property last month became the scene of another police response Saturday, underscoring how quickly abandoned buildings can turn into public-safety hazards. Albuquerque police arrested Milton Bryant, 42, after a barricade incident at the Barcelona Suites Apartments, 900 Louisiana Boulevard Northeast.

Officers first went to the property around 10:40 a.m. after a security manager reported a broken window and said a man was underneath it. Police initially did not find anyone and left, but returned about an hour later after the security manager showed them photos of Bryant and additional broken windows. As officers spoke with the property manager, who confirmed no one had permission to be there, Bryant was seen climbing out of a window and then retreating back inside after officers ordered him down.

Police established a perimeter around the building. Bryant then tried to leave again, but officers spotted him and he went back inside through a glass door. K-9 officers later apprehended him, and he was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital for medical clearance before being booked. After being read his Miranda rights, Bryant allegedly told police he had been outside in the shade to cool off, admitted the bicycle under the window was his, and said he entered through a broken window. He also told officers he heard commands but did not want to be captured because he knew there were warrants for his arrest.

Court documents say Bryant was charged with burglary, commercial; breaking and entering; larceny over $500 but under $2,500; criminal damage over $1,000; resisting, evading or obstructing an officer; two felony warrants; and one misdemeanor warrant. The property manager estimated damage from two broken windows and two broken glass doors at $2,200.

The arrest came about two weeks after the City of Albuquerque shut down Barcelona Suites on May 30, 2025, after inspections found serious safety and code violations. City officials said the closure forced 68 long-term residents to relocate, and residents were given about 24 hours to gather their belongings. Officials said the city had been working with the Texas-based owners since April 2021, but the property remained associated with repeated police calls, shootings, stabbings, drug activity, bedbugs and waste problems.

Neighbors and city officials had already described Barcelona Suites as a site where untreated vacancy and weak oversight fed a cycle of disorder. Police records cited by local outlets showed 151 incidents at the property over the past year, a reminder that once a large complex is emptied out, the public cost does not end with the closure.