ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A jury convicted an Albuquerque woman of stealing a Civil War-era revolver and shooting the gun at its owner, according to the Bernalillo County District Attorney.
Janice Kowalchuk broke into a man’s van near Coors Boulevard NW and Pheasant Avenue NW and stole the 1860 Colt revolver in July 2022. The man followed Kowalchuk, and when he saw him, she shot toward him at least five times, according to court documents.
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The man said he went up to Kowalchuck, grabbed the barrel of the gun, and hit her in the face while Kowalchuck fired another shot, and it missed the man’s waist but hit his flashlight holder, court documents state.
Kowalchuck was later found at a Cracker Barrel restaurant on Redlands Road NW and arrested.
A jury convicted her of aggravated assault (deadly weapon), aggravated burglary, larceny, and negligent use of a deadly weapon.
