Two men found guilty in 2020 murder of 19-year-old in Northeast Albuquerque

Gregory Hasman, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·2 min read

May 14—It took jurors about five hours to find Ryan John Baca and Rashawd Duhart guilty of killing Andres Loera during a drug deal in 2020.

The verdict on Tuesday marks the end of a nine-day trial in 2nd Judicial District Court that began May 1.

Baca, 28, and Duhart, 27, were charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and shooting at or from a vehicle in the Feb. 13, 2020, shooting death of Loera, 19, in Northeast Albuquerque.

The two face life in prison. No sentencing date was announced.

When the verdicts were announced, sniffles could be heard in the courtroom as friends and family of the defendants and Loera reacted to the decision. "Love you, brother" was said on the defendants' side as Baca and Duhart were escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

Baca's attorney Edward Bustamante declined to comment on the verdict. Assistant District Attorneys Christine Jablonsky and Gabe Kalen and Duhart's attorney Stephanie Gulley could not be reached for comment.

Baca and Duhart's trial was scheduled to go through Monday before Judge Bruce Fox, but closing arguments continued until late Tuesday morning. The case went to the jury at 11 a.m., and the verdict was reached around 4 p.m.

Prosecutors said that Baca and Duhart conspired with two others to lure Loera to a Northeast Albuquerque park around 3 a.m. the day of the killing, purportedly to buy an ounce of marijuana from him for an agreed-on price of $180.

"However, the plan was never to purchase marijuana on Feb. 13, 2020," Jablonsky said during opening statements on May 2.

Albuquerque police responded to a 911 call and found Loera slumped over in the driver's seat of his SUV, holding cash in his hand, in the 1800 block of Hoffman NE near Indian School and Pennsylvania, just east of Taylor Park, according to a criminal complaint.

The complaint states that 12 shots had been fired. An autopsy found Loera died of four gunshot wounds, including one to the head, from two guns.

Markell Barnes, 24, pleaded guilty in March to armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery in connection with Loera's killing. Barnes faces up to 12 years in prison. His sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

Prosecutors said earlier this month that Barnes witnessed the killing and testified that he, Duhart, Baca and a fourth person — later identified as Serina Burks — conspired to rob Loera.