Party shooting suspect to be held until trial
Judge’s ruling cites strength of case, threat of more violence
Wrong place, wrong time. The phrase got used a lot during the pretrial detention hearing of a 19-year-old man charged in the slaying of an innocent bystander — a Sandia High School student — outside a house party in September.
State District Judge Jacqueline Flores granted a motion Tuesday to keep Izaiah Garcia behind bars in the Sept. 29 slaying of 17-year-old Sean Markey. He is charged with an open count of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
“There’s at least enough information, at this point, to point to Mr. Garcia as the potential shooter,” Flores said.
Police say Garcia was firing a gun at another man outside a house party in a Northeast Albuquerque neighborhood when one of the bullets struck Markey, killing him.
During the hearing, prosecutors also said Garcia is being investigated in connection with the Oct. 18 slaying of 21-year-old Cayla Campos. Garcia is not charged in that case.
Police say Campos was playing Pokémon GO with her boyfriend when the couple witnessed a robbery in progress. When Campos tried to drive away, her car was sprayed with bullets.
“We’re just really happy that it went the way it did, and at least we have the knowledge that he can’t hurt anybody else until at least we have a trial,” said Tara Ross, Markey’s aunt. “Seany was, as you can see, extremely loved. We just want to make sure that there is justice for Seany and his memory, that we do right by him.”
The courtroom was packed, but relatively calm, throughout the hearing.
Family members and friends of Markey, Campos and Garcia listened intently — some with eyes closed — as the prosecutor and defense attorney argued the merits of the case against Garcia in Markey’s death.
Prosecutor John Duran said the evidence relied largely on eyewitness accounts, including testimony from the man Garcia was allegedly firing at — referred to as the
“intended target” — and Garcia’s own friend who went with him to the house party.
Nicole Moss, Garcia’s attorney, questioned the credibility of those witnesses, said no physical evidence tied Garcia to the fatal bullet and accused investigators of “zeroing in” on her client when others were seen carrying and shooting guns at the party.
Specifically, Moss said, the “intended target” is currently on probation and has a violent history that includes armed robbery. Moss also said Garcia’s friend “changed his story” to incriminate Garcia when he was placed “under incredible duress” by detectives.
Judge Flores lamented the “chaotic” environment the shooting occurred in, with young people drinking, shooting firearms and starting fights.
“I can’t imagine a more disastrous potential set of circumstances than that,” she said. “Because of that I can’t think of any conditions I can fashion to ensure that this wouldn’t happen again.”
After the hearing, Tim Campos, Cayla Campos’ uncle, stood on the courthouse steps, watching from afar, as Markey’s parents, aunt and siblings spoke with reporters.
“Today was all about Sean,” Campos said. “It was about his time and his case.”
He called the hearing “nerve-wracking,” as there didn’t seem to be anything “hammered down” in his niece’s slaying.
“Hopefully that time’s coming,” he said.