An evening at an Albuquerque Isotopes baseball game on September 6, 2023, turned into a devastating tragedy for the Villegas family. Eleven-year-old Hispanic male, Froylan Villegas, was fatally shot in a case of mistaken identity as his family drove home from the game. The young boy was in the front passenger seat of a white Dodge truck, driven by his 23-year-old cousin, Tatiana Villegas. Also in the vehicle were Froylan's mother and infant brother, seated in the back.
As they traveled near the intersection of Avenida Cesar Chavez and University Boulevard, their truck was ambushed by gunfire.
The assailants, later identified as 22-year-old Jose Romero and 21-year-old Nathan Garley, were in a black Dodge Durango. They had been involved in an altercation with another man at the baseball game and were targeting his white pickup truck. In a fatal error, they mistook the Villegas's truck for their target's and opened fire, unleashing at least 14 rounds. One of the shooters stood through the sunroof of the Durango to fire at the family's vehicle. Froylan was struck and died from his wounds. His cousin, Tatiana, was also hit multiple times and was critically injured, left paralyzed from the chest down. Miraculously, Froylan's mother and infant brother were not physically harmed, though projectiles narrowly missed the baby in his car seat.
An investigation was immediately launched, with police releasing a description of the suspects' vehicle to the public. Tips from the community, combined with cell phone data and social media tracking, quickly led detectives to Romero and Garley. It was discovered that the man who was the intended target had even messaged Romero on Instagram the day after the shooting to inform him that they had shot at the wrong truck. The investigation revealed that this was a gang-related incident and a tragic case of mistaken identity.
Jose Romero and Nathan Garley were arrested and charged with the murder of Froylan Villegas. Following their arrests, both men were convicted of first-degree murder, attempted murder, shooting at a motor vehicle, and tampering with evidence. They were subsequently sentenced to life in prison, plus an additional 46 years. The tragic and senseless death of a young boy, a victim of a feud he had no part in, sent shockwaves through the Albuquerque community and highlighted the devastating consequences of gun violence.
