Family Rushes Murder Suspect, One Tells Deputies 'It Was Worth Every Moment' When They Finally Pull Him Off
A New Mexico murder suspect was attacked at a court hearing Friday by relatives of the woman he is alleged to have shot to death.
Alexander Ortiz is accused of killing his former girlfriend, Alianna Farfan, 20, according to Law and Crime.
A video posted to social media platform X showed that the hearing became anything but routine after one man leaped over a partition in front of the spectators’ gallery and rushed Ortiz.
The man tackled Ortiz and appeared to get a punch in.
Murder trial turns into a brawl inside New Mexico courtroom https://t.co/52vRNaF4RJ pic.twitter.com/bF4IL7sGFl
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) February 5, 2025
A second man then ran from the gallery as the action shifted out of the frame of the surveillance camera.
Court security officers tried to deal with both spectators plus the father of the defendant, as the courtroom turned into a free-for-all.
“This is just one more incident that we continue to deal with. These are the types of things that we see regularly,” Katina Watson, CEO of the Second Judicial District Court, said, according to KRQE-TV.
“I really want to give recognition to the MDC officer who was caught in the middle of this and he did everything he could to ensure the safety of everyone,” Watson said.
Carlos Lucero, the first man to attack Ortiz, later told deputies, “he killed my niece like a coward.”
Lucero also said that “it was worth every moment” to attack Ortiz
Pete Ysasi was named as the second man.
Both were charged with assault and battery on a peace officer.
Lucero was freed from jail on Saturday; Ysasi on Sunday, according to Law and Crime.
Ortiz made a return trip to court on Tuesday, according to KOB-TV.
On Monday, he was charged with a second murder — that of a woman who was slain at an Albuquerque food market in January 2024, six days after he allegedly killed his former girlfriend.
Although charges in that case were only filed this week, Ortiz has been in jail since February 2024 on the initial murder charge.
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