Inset, top to bottom: Roman Valenciano (GoFundMe) and Cecilio Lopez (Metropolitan Detention Center). Background: Authorities at the scene with Valenciano’s gray Nissan Sentra (KOB).
A New Mexico man, aged 31, is facing charges for allegedly killing a 19-year-old driver in a road rage incident. According to authorities, the suspect reportedly cut off the victim’s vehicle and repeatedly “brake-checked” him before firing a gun.
Last week, Cecilio Lopez was arrested and charged with several offenses, including open murder, shooting at or from a vehicle leading to death, tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm as a felon. The charges stem from the fatal shooting of Roman Valenciano, aged 19, as detailed in court documents.
The confrontation reportedly unfolded around 1:45 p.m. on Thursday on San Mateo Boulevard in northeast Albuquerque. Witnesses say a silver Ford Mustang, allegedly driven by Lopez, executed a U-turn, cutting off Valenciano’s gray Nissan Sentra, as reported by KOAT, an ABC affiliate.
Footage from surveillance cameras captured the Mustang intermittently “brake-checking” the Sentra and coming to a halt on the road while both vehicles headed south, according to the Albuquerque Journal, which reviewed the criminal complaint.
As the vehicles neared a local Tully’s restaurant, Lopez allegedly sped up and aligned his car with the passenger side of Valenciano’s vehicle. Detectives indicate that gunfire erupted at this point, with two shots fired at approximately 1:48 p.m., which coincided with a ShotSpotter alert in the vicinity, as reported by NBC affiliate KOB.
Authorities disclosed that one bullet struck Valenciano in the face, while another passed through the rear driver’s side window of his car.
Valenciano, who authorities say was driving to pick up his mother after work, slowed to a stop in the roadway as Lopez accelerated away from the area. When officers arrived minutes later, they reportedly found Valenciano “slumped over” in the driver’s seat, bleeding from the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
While Lopez allegedly fled after the shooting, investigators say he returned to the area at least three times to watch authorities at the scene before finally heading home, according to ABQ Raw.
Authorities identified the suspect vehicle using automated license plate readers and surveillance footage, which showed the Mustang driving parallel to the victim’s car at the time of the shooting. Cellphone data also placed Lopez in the area at the time of the homicide, investigators said.
Later that night, authorities say Lopez attempted to conceal the vehicle’s involvement by having the Mustang — originally silver — painted black. Despite the change, detectives identified the car by its distinctive wheels, spoiler, and other custom features.
Police ultimately located the vehicle at a residence in Albuquerque’s North Valley, where SWAT officers executed search and arrest warrants and took Lopez into custody Friday evening.
Prosecutors have since moved to keep Lopez detained pending trial, writing that “shooting at someone, over a road rage incident, is extremely reckless and dangerous behavior, that shows no concern for the safety of the community,” per the Journal.
Authorities also noted Lopez was on probation for a prior felony conviction at the time of the shooting.
Records further indicate Lopez had previously been charged as a juvenile in a 2012 fatal stabbing case, though the ultimate resolution of that case is unclear.
On a GoFundMe page started by Valenciano’s mother, she said the loss of her son had “completely devastated” the family.
“Roman was such a bright light and a sweet soul. He had the purest heart,” she wrote. “He had a special way of making everyone around him smile and feel loved. His kindness and joy left a lasting impact on so many, and his memory will continue to live on through all the lives he touched.”
Lopez remains held at the Metropolitan Detention Center as the case moves forward. It was not immediately clear when he was scheduled to appear in court.
