The life of Nathan Romero, a 53-year-old Hispanic man, came to a violent end in the early morning hours of June 21, 2024. The incident unfolded at his home on the 500 block of Hermosa Drive in Las Vegas, New Mexico, where he lived with his wife. The chain of events was set in motion by a man who had recently begun a relationship with Romero’s wife.
Just after 2 a.m., 29-year-old Elijah Martinez arrived at the residence.
According to Romero's wife, Martinez had been calling her repeatedly that night, but she had ignored him. She was awakened by him banging on an outside wall of the home. Martinez then broke a front window, showed her he had a gun, and kicked in the front door. As he forced his way inside, she fled through a back window and ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911.
From outside, she heard Martinez and Romero arguing, followed by a single gunshot and Romero yelling. She then witnessed Martinez walk out of the house, fire another shot, and go back inside, where she heard at least four more gunshots. Martinez then fled the scene. When Romero's wife returned to the house, she found him unresponsive and attempted CPR, but he had already died.
Officers responding to the 911 call found Nathan Romero deceased from a gunshot wound to the chest. New Mexico State Police, who were in the area, saw a vehicle leaving the scene and conducted a traffic stop. The driver was Elijah Martinez. Officers observed what appeared to be blood on his clothes, and a firearm and shell casings were visible inside his vehicle. He was detained and subsequently arrested.
Investigators learned that prior to driving to the Romero home, Martinez had been in an argument with a friend. The friend exited the vehicle and then heard a gunshot before Martinez drove away.
Elijah Martinez was booked into the San Miguel County Detention Center and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault against a household member, aggravated burglary, criminal damage to property, and shooting at or from a motor vehicle. He was released from custody in October 2025 after posting a $20,000 bond and was placed on house arrest with GPS monitoring.
While awaiting his trial, which was scheduled for August 2026, Elijah Martinez was shot and killed on March 28, 2026, at a home in Sapello, New Mexico. With the death of the primary suspect, the case into Nathan Romero's murder is considered closed as of March 2026.
