On October 9, 2019, 20-year-old DeAndre Garcia, a Hispanic guitarist from Albuquerque, was shot and killed at the Eagle Ranch Apartments while trying to protect a female friend from two men who were pursuing her. The assailants, described as wearing dark clothing and red bandanas, fired through the apartment door; DeAndre was struck while attempting to keep them out.

Investigators later developed new cellular evidence that led to two identifications. Court filings and police reporting say 24-year-old Jose Angel Marquez admitted in an interview that he and three others went to the apartment and fired into the door. Nineteen-year-old Gilbert Salazar was arrested after a traffic stop in Albuquerque. Both men were charged with an open count of murder and conspiracy and are being held pending trial. Judge Clara Moran ordered Marquez to remain in custody, citing the violent, targeted nature of the attack.

DeAndre’s life and musical talent were highlighted in the Albuquerque Police Department video series Duke City Case Files, which helped renew attention to the unsolved homicide and the subsequent investigative breakthrough. If anyone knew DeAndre or has information about the incident at Eagle Ranch Apartments, please come forward.