News footage of Sheliky Sanchez in court on Aug. 20 (KOB).
A New Mexico teenager accused of randomly murdering an Uber driver now faces additional charges in a separate case concerning his 7-year-old brother.
The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office announced on August 14 via a Facebook update that 18-year-old Sheliky Sanchez faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, child abuse, and witness intimidation. These charges originate from an alleged incident in May, uncovered during the investigation of Uber driver Joseph Andrus’s murder earlier this month.
Prosecutors allege that in May, Sanchez pointed a gun at his 7-year-old half-brother. During a Wednesday detention hearing, as reported by local NBC affiliate KOB, prosecutors claimed Sanchez was intoxicated when he threatened the boy with the weapon, instructing him “not to tell.” The motive behind this threat was not specified by prosecutors.
During questioning related to the Andrus case, Sanchez allegedly told police he “had killed three other people when he was a juvenile,” according to prosecutors. Authorities are investigating these claims, but KOB reports they remain unconfirmed.
Judge Brett Loveless, in court on Wednesday, commented, “Holding a firearm to the head of a 7-year-old child is violent and clearly was disturbing to the alleged victim.” Loveless ordered Sanchez to remain in custody until his trial.
Sanchez is also held on a first-degree murder charge linked to the fatal shooting of Andrus on August 7. As previously reported by Law&Crime, Sanchez allegedly confessed to police he shot Andrus to “let some steam off due to ‘so much stress and so much bulls—.'”
