Man, 20, convicted of voluntary manslaughter
Apr. 30—A jury on Tuesday convicted Adrian Sanchez of voluntary manslaughter and armed robbery in a case that relied heavily on Instagram messages he posted after a 2022 killing.
But jurors acquitted Sanchez of the most serious charges of first- and second-degree murder in the May 5, 2022, shooting death of 29-year-old Jesus Lopez.
The 20-year-old Sanchez faces up to 39 years in prison. State District Judge Brett Loveless said he will schedule a sentencing hearing within 90 days.
In a separate case, Sanchez is charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery and other crimes in the June 16, 2022, shooting death of Timothy Johnson in the parking lot of a Circle K at Coors and Gun Club SW. No trial is scheduled in that case.
In the Lopez killing, Sanchez argued that he shot Lopez in self-defense after Lopez pulled a handgun and attempted to carjack Sanchez's car.
Prosecutors told jurors that Sanchez fatally shot Lopez, then stole his handgun, before boasting about the killing to friends on Instagram.
Defense and prosecution attorneys told jurors differing interpretations of Sanchez's social media posts.
Sanchez's attorney, Lisa Torraco, said that Sanchez told several friends on Instagram that he had been carjacked at gunpoint and shot Lopez in self-defense.
"My client repeatedly says he was held at gunpoint," Torraco said Monday in closing arguments. "Every statement that my client makes is about the carjacking gone wrong."
Albuquerque police responded around 11 p.m. to the 200 block of Garcia NE, near Central and Moon, after a gunshot detection device recorded gunfire, according to a complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.
Officers found Lopez lying in the middle of the road with several gunshot wounds. He died at the scene.
A neighbor told police he saw a man drag Lopez out of a car, leave him in the street and drive away, the complaint said.
Torraco said that earlier that evening, Sanchez began talking with two girls at a Target store when Lopez joined the group.
Sanchez had never before met Lopez, who jumped into the passenger seat of Sanchez's car outside the Target and demanded a ride, she said.
Sanchez agreed to give Lopez a ride but soon realized that Lopez planned to rob him, Torraco said. Lopez ordered Sanchez to get out of the car, moved into the driver's seat and fired a gunshot at Sanchez, she said.
Deputy District Attorney Collin Brennan told jurors that Sanchez's Instagram messages show that he shot Lopez intentionally.
Sanchez sent a screenshot of an Albuquerque Journal news article about the killing to a friend on Instagram, Brennan said.
Sanchez also shared photos with the friend showing his blood-spattered car and shoes, Brennan said.
Sanchez then asked the friend to have someone call 242-COPS, claim to have witnessed the killing, and tell police they saw Lopez pull a gun on the driver to make the killing sound like a robbery, Brennan said.
