Man fired handgun from moving vehicle, police say

10-year-old son, 8-year-old daughter of allegedly drunk driver were also in vehicle

Santa Fe police have charged a man with shooting from a moving vehicle, negligent use of a deadly weapon and two counts of abusing or abandoning a child after he reportedly fired a 9 mm handgun from the passenger side of a vehicle on St. Francis Drive early Saturday morning.

Police say Albert Larrañaga, who was born in 1967, according to court records, repeatedly fired the handgun, which was found in the car driven by Dorothy Montoya following a traffic stop on St. Francis Drive around 12:05 a.m. Saturday.

Police charged Montoya, whose age is unknown, with aggravated DWI and two charges of abusing or abandoning a child, Lt. Ben Valdez of the Santa Fe Police Department said Sunday.

Both adults were still in custody at the Santa Fe County jail as of Sunday.

A 10-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl, both Montoya’s children, were turned over to a grandparent, Valdez said.

Valdez said a police officer on patrol near the intersection of St. Francis Drive and Alamo Drive heard gunshots in the area shortly after midnight Saturday.

“A male passenger was discharging rounds out the window of the vehicle,” Valdez said. “No one was reported injured, and there were no reports of damage to property.”

He said police found several 9 mm casings both in the vehicle and along St. Francis Drive between Alamo Drive and Camino de Las Crucitas.

According to online court records, Larrañaga was convicted of assault in 2013 and agreed to undergo counseling and perform community service as part of his punishment. In July 2014 he was convicted of battery against a household member. In October 2016 he was charged with battery against a household member but that case was dismissed by the prosecutor.