Alexis Monrroy charged in fatal Albuquerque bus stop shooting
Alexis Monrroy faces murder charges in Albuquerque after the fatal July 2 shooting of an unhoused man. He is one of six teenagers charged in connection with the killing.
The victim was identified as 45-year-old Frank Howard. Police said three unhoused people have been killed in Albuquerque since May.
According to the Albuquerque Police Department, officers arrested six suspects in the case:
- Alexis Monrroy, 19
- Isaiah Salazar, 15
- Xavier Dimas, 16
- Felicia Nguyen, 14
- Santiana Martinez, 12
- Christy Whiteface, 14
APD said Monrroy was with Salazar, Dimas, and Nguyen in Santa Fe. The group stole a black Hyundai and drove it to Albuquerque. They picked up Martinez and Whiteface in the city.
Dimas told detectives they drove around and drank alcohol for about an hour. They spotted Howard at about 3:20 a.m. at a bus stop near Menaul Blvd and Eubank Blvd., N.E. According to APD, Dimas said the teens wanted to scare and fight Howard.
The group started yelling at Howard as they approached. Dimas and Salazar got out of the vehicle and walked toward him. The other teens watched from inside the car.
Howard yelled at the youths and ran. Salazar threatened to shoot him. Dimas said he heard two gunshots during the foot chase.
Dimas said he looked over his shoulder and saw the muzzle shots come from the area where Salazar was running. Monrroy also told detectives that he saw Salazar fire the handgun.
Howard was shot in the back. He fell in the northbound lanes of Eubank. He died from his injuries.
According to APD, the group then stole a maroon Hyundai at an apartment complex. They left the stolen black Hyundai at the scene. The maroon Hyundai was abandoned off I-25 near Algodones.
A Sandoval County deputy found the car. It was towed from the highway. Detectives spoke with a local resident.
The man said three boys and three girls arrived at his home early on July 2. They told him their car had broken down. They asked him for a ride to Santa Fe.
The man worked in Santa Fe and drove them in his truck. He dropped the group off at a community center. Santa Fe police officers arrested the teens at 8:47 a.m. near the Burger King at 3478 Zafarano Drive.
Santa Fe police officers were called to the Burger King where the teens were involved in a fight with a family that included a pregnant woman. One of the teens flashed a handgun.
Officers recovered the handgun. Santa Fe officers charged the three girls and released them. Salazar and Dimas were arrested on warrants and assault charges. They were booked into the Juvenile Detention Center in Farmington.
Ballistics testing confirmed the handgun was used in the fatal shooting of Howard. Arrest warrants for all six suspects were obtained on Aug. 6.
Monrroy, Salazar, and Dimas are charged with an open count of murder. They also face conspiracy to commit murder and vehicle theft charges. Monrroy faces five counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Martinez, Whiteface, and Nguyen face auto theft and property damage charges.
Albuquerque homicide detectives investigate fatal crimes across the city. Cases involving multiple jurisdictions often require coordinated agency bookings and ballistics tracing. Formal charges are submitted to the district attorney for review.
APD continues to process evidence in the case.
