ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Barelas community is in mourning on Friday after a gunman went into Por Vida Tattoo on Thursday and fatally shot the owner.
Friends and those who knew John “Bale” Sisneros said he was so much more than a tattoo artist.
“Yesterday was a very, very sad day. It hit us all really hard,” said Ernie C’deBaca, CEO of Hispano Chamber of Commerce.
“He will be missed in so many different facets of what he participated in,” Ruben Garcia, friend of the Sisneros.
A father, a son, and a great member of the community: that’s how those who knew Bale Sisneros are remembering him.
“He was very opening and very giving always happy. I’ve never seen him angry in the whole time I met him,” said Garcia.
Sisneros’ life was taken on Thursday after someone entered the Por Vida Tattoo around 8 a.m. near Fourth Street and Coal Ave and shot Bale to death inside his own business.
“I don’t think the person who did this knows the impact [of] all of the stuff he did for the community the schools and all the donations he did,” said C’deBaca.
Friend Ruben Garcia said Sisneros was always humble and ready to give a helping hand to those who needed it, opening up his doors to people looking to recover from drug addiction and mentoring his employees.
Friends said he was looking to make Downtown a better place, expanding his tattoo business there a few years ago.
“He had a tremendous presence in the community; he took a building that had been vacant for many, many years made it really nice inside,” said C’debaca.
Sisneros was known as someone with a hunger for knowledge, reading philosophy books, and trying to encourage his staff to do the same.
“There’s people that you know that are kind of almost spiritual that you feel almost good about visiting with them,” said C’debaca.
“He was a great father, great son, great friend. He’s going to be missed,” said Garcia.
The shop is expected to open back up on Saturday. There will be a candlelight vigil for Sisneros outside of Por Vida starting on Friday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
