Marcelino Herrera Jr., a 41-year-old man from Cuartelez, New Mexico, tragically lost his life to gun violence on August 18, 2024. Born on April 16, 1983, Herrera was originally from Bernalillo and raised in Coyote, NM. The incident occurred near Chimayó, specifically in the vicinity of the intersection of N.M. 76 in Cuartelez.
On the afternoon of August 18, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Santa Fe County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a location in Cuartelez where passersby had
discovered Herrera's body on N.M. 76. Sheriff's office spokeswoman Denise Womack-Avila confirmed that Herrera died from a gunshot wound.
In connection with this fatal shooting, Lucas Gomez-Lopez, a 36-year-old man from Española, has been charged with murder. The charges against Gomez-Lopez were filed on Monday, September 10, 2024, nearly a month after the incident occurred. Authorities accuse Gomez-Lopez of killing Herrera off a highway outside Española.
The case has garnered attention in the local community, with law enforcement initially seeking a suspect in the death of the man found on the roadway in Cuartelez. The investigation led to the arrest and charging of Gomez-Lopez, bringing some closure to the tragic event that claimed the life of Marcelino Herrera Jr.
