Police accuse a man of shooting another man in the head during a road rage incident last Thursday in Northeast Albuquerque.
Police later identified the suspect as Cecilio Sanchez Lopez, 31, who had been previously detained in 2012 due to murder. The SWAT then arrested him on Friday.
According to the reports, he fatally shot a 19-year-old victim named Roman Valenciano, who was driving in a gray Nissan Sentra to pick up his mother after work.
The incident began on Thursday around 1:45 P.M. on San Mateo Boulevard, NE. A surveillance video captured a silver Ford Mustang making a U-turn at Phoenix Rd., pulling directly into the path of Valenciano’s Sentra.
According to witnesses, “the silver Mustang periodically brake checked the gray Sentra and would stop in the road.”
As the Sentra continued south on San Mateo, the Mustang accelerated and pulled parallel to the Sentra’s passenger side near Tully’s Restaurant, located at 1425 San Mateo Blvd. NE.
At 1:48 P.M., investigators determined that the shooting occurred near the said location, which matched a ShotStopper notification of two rounds fired. In the criminal complaint, one bullet struck Valenciano while the other exited the driver’s window.
The Sentra slowed to a stop in traffic while the Mustang fled the scene.
Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officers arrived at the scene and used force entry to Valencia’s vehicle. An APD officer used his closed fist to break the window open, trying to render aid to Valenciano, and investigators saw him with medical gauze wrapped around his fist as he handled the initial investigation.
APD investigators used Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) to identify the Mustang’s license plate. According to the complaint, Lopez’s significant other registered his vehicle, and investigators identified him as a person of interest currently on probation for a prior case.
Cellphone records also confirm Lopez’s location during the time of the incident. Forensic data and witnesses have observed that Lopez returned to the crime scene three times later in the afternoon to observe the investigation before returning home in the North Valley.
Officers also revealed Lopez’s attempt to hide the vehicle, a key piece of evidence for the case, turning it from a silver Mustang to a black one, retaining its wheels, spoiler, rear window louvers, and the same license plate.
SWAT officers executed a search and arrest warrant at the North Valley home on Friday evening, and Lopez is now facing four criminal charges, including open count of murder, tampering with evidence, and shooting at or from a motor vehicle resulting in death.
Lopez’s 2012 Felony Case
APD’s Civilian Public Officer Gilbert Gallegos said Lopez is under probation for a previous felony conviction for at least three years.
In 2012, Lopez faced multiple criminal charges, such as felony murder attempt, aggravated assault, child abuse, and unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon on school premises.
The then-17-year-old Cecilio Lopez stabbed Jose De La Paz, also 17, when he stepped in to stop a fight between Lopez and another teen.
Because Lopez was 17 at that time, he was likely charged under the juvenile system, and under New Mexico laws, the complaint in the case is not publicly accessible to protect juveniles.
In May 2024, authorities booked Lopez into MDC for a probation violation, the details of which are unclear but likely related to his 2012 case when he was 17.
Prosecutors filed a motion to keep Lopez behind bars, saying, “Shooting at someone, over a road rage incident, is extremely reckless and dangerous behavior, that shows no concern for the safety of the community.”