On January 24, 2022, 45-year-old Sihui Fang, owner of Wonderful Massage at 5716 Menaul Boulevard N.E. in Albuquerque, was killed during an apparent armed robbery. Two 18-year-old men entered the parlor; surveillance footage shows one of them, identified as Juan Carlos Hernandez, pointing a gun at Fang. The video cuts out after both men went inside, but court documents say Fang grabbed a gun and a shootout followed. Fang was fatally shot and one of the men, Jorge Rivera-Ramirez, was wounded, suffering four gunshot wounds.

Both Hernandez and Rivera-Ramirez were arrested and charged with murder and other counts. The case received widespread attention because it occurred amid several armed robberies targeting Asian-owned massage parlors, and some community members and Fang’s partner, Rod Honstein, say her Asian heritage made the business a target. Federal authorities later reviewed the incident and determined it did not meet the legal standard for a hate crime, while advocates continue to raise questions about motive.

Did anyone who knew Fang or worked in the area notice unusual activity at massage parlors before January 24, 2022?