On the afternoon of Thursday, March 26, 2026, 19-year-old Roman Valenciano was driving his gray Nissan Sentra in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on his way to pick up his mother from work. His journey was tragically cut short in what police have described as a fatal road rage incident. Roman, who was born in Gallup, New Mexico, was a resident of Albuquerque.
He was a recent high school graduate who worked as a manager at a local Burger King and was known for his love of cooking, baking, and playing video games.
The incident began around 1:45 p.m. on San Mateo Boulevard near Phoenix Road when a silver Ford Mustang, allegedly driven by 31-year-old Cecilio Sanchez Lopez, made a U-turn directly into the path of Valenciano's car. Lopez is accused of then "brake-checking" Valenciano, bringing his car to a stop in the road. As the two cars continued south, the Mustang pulled alongside Valenciano's vehicle near Tully's Restaurant. It was at this point that shots were reportedly fired from the Mustang into the Nissan Sentra. Roman Valenciano was struck by the gunfire and his car slowed to a stop in traffic. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Albuquerque police detectives utilized surveillance footage and automated license plate readers to identify the Ford Mustang. The vehicle was registered to the significant other of Cecilio Sanchez Lopez, who then became a person of interest. Cell phone records placed Lopez's device in the immediate area at the time of the shooting. Investigators also noted that the Mustang returned to the scene of the crime three separate times while police were conducting their investigation.
On Friday, March 27, 2026, SWAT officers arrested Cecilio Sanchez Lopez. He has been charged with an open count of murder, shooting at or from a motor vehicle resulting in death, tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm by a felon. It was reported that Lopez was on probation for a prior felony at the time of the incident. His criminal history includes a previous murder charge from 2012 when he was a juvenile, though that charge was later dismissed.
