Joel Valdez, a 39-year-old Hispanic male who worked as a tattoo artist and was a father, was killed in Southwest Albuquerque on the Fourth of July in 2023. His death was the culmination of a violent, day-long series of confrontations rooted in months of marital conflict with his wife, Erica Valdez, during which the two had accused each other of infidelity.
The dispute escalated on July 4 when Joel confronted Erica and her boyfriend, James Sena, at a motel where Sena worked as a security
guard. During the encounter, both Sena and Erica reportedly brandished handguns at Joel, who then left the property. Later that evening, the conflict moved to the home Joel and Erica shared on Andrews Avenue. Around 9:40 p.m., Erica arrived and pointed a handgun at her husband’s chest. A 911 call placed from the home at that time captured a woman screaming, “I am going to shoot you and hit you with this gun.”
After Erica left the residence, surveillance video recorded a volley of automatic gunfire in the area. A relative later told police that Erica had called and said, “I just sprayed the house.” About two hours later, shortly after 11 p.m., Erica returned to the vicinity of the home, allegedly accompanied by Sena. Another verbal altercation occurred, followed by a second burst of automatic gunfire.
Family members, who had learned about the earlier shooting at the house, went to look for Joel. They found his car on 98th Street with the door open and discovered his body lying on the road nearby. First responders determined he had died from a gunshot wound.
The Albuquerque Police Department investigation revealed that two different firearms had been used in the shootings that targeted Joel. Detectives arrested Erica Valdez and charged her with an open count of murder, shooting at a dwelling, and aggravated assault. James Sena was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit a first-degree felony.
In November 2023, Erica Valdez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and shooting at a dwelling. A judge subsequently sentenced her to 15 years in prison. In 2024, the state charges against James Sena related to the murder were dismissed after he took a plea deal for a separate federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The case is considered closed as of early 2024.
