Jury convicts 2 men of murder in shooting death of 11-year-old outside stadium that prompted gun ban
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Two men were convicted Friday of first-degree murder and related charges in a shooting outside an Albuquerque baseball stadium in 2023 that killed an 11-year-old boy and prompted the New Mexico governor to issue a controversial gun ban.
The jury found Jose Romero and Nathen Garley, both in their early 20s, guilty of murder, tampering with evidence, shooting at or from a vehicle and other charges, a statement from prosecutors said.
Investigators allege that a truck carrying a mother and three young children was mistaken for another vehicle in the shooting as vehicles were leaving the stadium. Gunfire killed 11-year-old Froylan Villegas and paralyzed cousin Tatiana Villegas. Foylan’s mother and baby brother were unharmed.
In the aftermath of the shooting and others that killed children, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a public health emergency over gun violence, temporarily suspending the right to carry guns in some parks and playgrounds in the greater Albuquerque area. The decision touched off protests and legal challenges by advocates for gun rights.
Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman said he hopes the verdict brings “some sort of peace and justice” to Froylan’s family.
Thomas Clark, defense counsel to Garley, said the first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence and triggers an automatic appeal for review by the New Mexico Supreme Court.
Clark said Garley had no prior convictions and acknowledged the terrible consequences for the Villegas family.
“You have to respect the jury system,” Clark said.
