On June 15, 2016, a 64-year-old Hispanic male named Santiago Romero-Amaya was killed in a carjacking in southwest Albuquerque, New Mexico. The tragic event unfolded when a suspect attempted to steal his vehicle, a violent encounter that ultimately led to Romero-Amaya's death. He was found with at least one gunshot wound in the street.
The man identified as the suspect in the murder and carjacking of Santiago Romero-Amaya was 32-year-old Rickey Renee Rock.
Following the carjacking, a multi-agency law enforcement effort tracked Rock to a motel on the other side of Albuquerque. When Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office deputies and Albuquerque Police Department officers attempted to apprehend him, a confrontation ensued. Rock reportedly fired at the officers, who returned fire, fatally wounding him. This occurred after Rock had allegedly been involved in another violent crime earlier that same day, an armed robbery at a Subway restaurant. An employee at the restaurant was shot and critically injured during that incident.
Before the fatal encounter with law enforcement, Rock had led a tumultuous life marked by previous run-ins with the law. He was a known felon and had been released from federal custody just six months prior to the deadly crime spree. His criminal history painted a picture of a dangerous individual. In the end, the search for Santiago Romero-Amaya's killer came to a swift and violent conclusion, with the suspect being killed by authorities just hours after the initial homicide.
