In the quiet community of Meadow Lake, near Los Lunas, New Mexico, a violent encounter on March 3, 2019, tragically cut short the life of 26-year-old Daniel Sandoval. On that day, Sandoval and his brother, Scott, found themselves in a terrifying vehicle pursuit. The occupants of an SUV relentlessly chased their car, firing multiple shots. The chase ended when Daniel, who was driving, was struck in the head by a bullet, causing their vehicle to veer off the road.
As their car came to a
stop, Scott Sandoval managed to escape and seek help from a nearby house, while the assailants continued to fire at the disabled vehicle. Daniel Sandoval sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to a hospital, but succumbed to his injuries. In the midst of the chase, Daniel had told his brother that a man known as "Boxer" was after him. This piece of information would become a crucial element in the ensuing investigation.
Authorities quickly identified two suspects in the fatal shooting: Jesus Angel Garcia, 32, and Alexandro Montelongo Murillo, 24. Scott Sandoval later identified Garcia as "Boxer," the driver of the SUV, and Murillo as the passenger from photographs shown to him by law enforcement. The two men were apprehended on March 7, 2019, bringing a brief sense of resolution to a community shaken by the violent and brazen nature of the crime, which was described as an execution-style murder.
Following their arrest, Garcia and Montelongo-Murillo were tried and convicted by a jury of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and attempted first-degree murder. Each was sentenced to life in prison for the murder, with an additional 18 years for the other charges. However, the legal battle was far from over. In a significant turn of events, the New Mexico Supreme Court later vacated their convictions and ordered a new trial. The court's unanimous decision was based on the grounds that the trial court had wrongly excluded the testimony of an eyewitness. This witness, a neighbor who saw the drive-by shooting, had identified a different man, who was never charged, as one of the assailants. The Supreme Court ruled that this deprived Garcia and Montelongo-Murillo of their constitutional right to present a complete defense, leaving the final chapter in the story of Daniel Sandoval's death yet to be written.
