On the evening of New Year’s Eve in a southwest Albuquerque neighborhood, 15-year-old Manuel Ortega was killed during a planned meeting to buy a firearm from another teenager. Manuel and his 14-year-old brother went to Anderson Mesa Park and approached a gold Chevy Impala at about 6:15 PM. Manuel’s brother got into the front passenger seat, Manuel could not get into the back, and an argument was heard inside the car. Two gunshots followed; a second teen who had been hiding behind a bush then emerged and entered the passenger side as Manuel’s brother exited. The vehicle fled and Manuel was found on the ground, shot twice, and died at the scene. His brother fired at the fleeing car afterward.

The Albuquerque Police Department identified two teenage suspects, 17-year-old Adrian Torres and 16-year-old Uriel Alonso. The Impala was later traced to Torres’s mother, and home surveillance plus social media messages, photos, and videos tied the teens to the incident. Both were taken into custody; Torres was arrested and Alonso surrendered. They were charged with open counts including murder, armed robbery, conspiracy, and tampering with evidence, and a judge ordered them held pending trial. Alonso pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder; Torres pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.

Are there witnesses who saw the Impala or anyone lurking near Anderson Mesa Park that evening who haven’t spoken to investigators?