Joseph Andrus, 30, was shot multiple times and left by the roadside in the 400 block of Merlida Street SW in Albuquerque around 3 a.m. on August 7, 2025. He had left home before dawn that day to drive for Uber, a short-term gig he’d started to help seed a startup; his vehicle was taken after the shooting and later recovered outside an address linked to the suspect’s girlfriend. Family and friends remembered Andrus as kind and ambitious, newly a college graduate working nights to build his own project and gathered the following week for a candlelight vigil on what would have been his 31st birthday. Investigators focused quickly on 18-year-old Sheliky Sanchez.

A criminal complaint and news reports say Sanchez rode with Andrus after asking his girlfriend to order an Uber, told Andrus to pull over, then shot him and fled in the car. Sanchez initially denied involvement, later allegedly admitted the killing, and was charged by local prosecutors with murder, armed robbery, and tampering with evidence; a judge ordered him held pending the case. Authorities also reported that Sanchez claimed responsibility during questioning for three earlier homicides; those statements were under investigation and no additional counts had been filed at that time.

Does anyone who knew Joseph or saw a vehicle matching his description in early August have information to share?