Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, second from left, with Deputy Cupboard Secretary of the Division of Public Security Benjamin Baker, left, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina, proper, speaks throughout a information convention, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 in Santa Fe, N.M. Two folks had been arrested Thursday, Sept. 21, 2022, in reference to a taking pictures outdoors an Albuquerque baseball stadium that killed an 11-year-old boy and prompted Grisham to concern a controversial gun ban. Credit score: AP/Eddie Moore
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 3rd arrest was made Friday in reference to a taking pictures outdoors an Albuquerque baseball stadium that killed an 11-year-old boy and prompted the New Mexico governor to concern a controversial gun ban.
Albuquerque police took Daniel Gomez, 26, into custody a day after two different males had been recognized as suspects. Police did not instantly launch additional particulars about Gomez’s arrest.
Jose Romero, 22, and Nathen Garley, 21, had been being held for the Sept. 6 taking pictures after an Albuquerque Isotopes recreation in what gave the impression to be a case of mistaken id, Police Chief Harold Medina stated at a information convention.
Medina stated the 2 males had argued with folks in the course of the ballgame and mistakenly opened fireplace on a truck carrying Froylan Villegas and his household because it was leaving the car parking zone as a result of it intently resembled the truck of the meant targets.
“These cowards thought they had been powerful,” Medina stated in an earlier social media submit. “They killed an harmless little one.”
Romero was already wished for failing to look in courtroom in reference to alleged drug dealing, Medina stated.
Garley occurred to be in custody when he was arrested in reference to the killing. He had been stopped by state police on Sept. 13 whereas coming back from Arizona and authorities discovered a gun and about 100,000 fentanyl tablets within the automotive, state Police Chief W. Troy Weisler stated on the information convention.
Additional investigation linked him to the taking pictures, authorities alleged.
Garley’s case has been assigned to the New Mexico Legislation Places of work of the Public Defender, however the case remains to be in its early levels, spokesperson Maggie Shepard stated Friday. She didn’t know if Romero would even have a public defender.
The workplace didn’t instantly reply to an inquiry about Gomez.
Police alleged that the boys, each reputed gang members, pulled up in a automotive and attacked the pickup truck that was leaving the minor league recreation at Isotopes Stadium.
Greater than a dozen pictures had been fired, killing Froylan Villegas and leaving his cousin, Tatiana Villegas, paralyzed from the waist down, authorities stated. A GoFundMe account for Tatiana Villegas’ restoration has raised almost $40,000 to this point.
The boy’s mom and his toddler brother had been additionally contained in the truck however weren’t injured, though two bullets barely missed the opposite little one, police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos stated.
Romero and Garley had had an ongoing feud with one other man and argued with him in the course of the baseball recreation. The person drove a white Dodge pickup truck, Gallegos stated.
The victims had been in a really related white Dodge truck that drove by the truck of the meant goal, police stated.
“It’s our perception that these cowards combined up the 2 automobiles and shot into the improper automobile,” the police chief stated.
“Investigators used cellphone information and social media to trace the actions of a number of people,” Gallegos stated. “The day after the taking pictures, the person who was feuding with Romero despatched him a message on Instagram indicating they shot on the improper truck.”
The taking pictures, one in every of a number of involving youngsters, prompted New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, to concern an emergency public well being order days later suspending the best to hold firearms in public in and round Albuquerque. The measure was fought by Republican lawmakers and gun rights teams and a federal choose final week granted a brief restraining order to dam the order pending one other courtroom listening to subsequent month.
U.S. District Choose David Urias stated that the governor’s unique order was prone to trigger irreparable hurt to folks disadvantaged of the best to hold a gun in public for self-defense.
Grisham then amended the order to use solely to public parks and playgrounds the place youngsters and their households collect.