On June 20, 2009, Stephanie Anderson, a 34-year-old cook, was tragically shot and killed during an armed robbery at a Denny's restaurant located at 1602 Coors Boulevard, N.W. in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Anderson was employed by Barreras Enterprises, Inc., which was a franchisee of Denny's, Inc., although she was not a direct employee of Denny's, Inc..
The perpetrators of this crime were identified as three El Salvadoran nationals: Jose Humberto Melgar-Cabrera, Marvin Antonio
Aguilar-Lopez, and Pablo De Leon Ortiz. These individuals carried out the armed robbery and murder at the Denny's restaurant where Anderson was working. The incident was part of a series of armed robberies targeting Albuquerque-area restaurants in June 2009.
The investigation and subsequent legal proceedings led to the extradition of one of the suspects, Francisco Melgar-Cabrera from El Salvador to the United States. This extradition occurred on May 22, 2014, marking a significant step in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Marvin Antonio Aguilar-Lopez and Pablo De Leon Ortiz were also apprehended and faced federal charges. On August 7, 2013, Aguilar-Lopez was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his role in the armed robbery and the murder of Stephanie Anderson.
Francisco Melgar-Cabrera, who was involved in the same crimes, was sentenced to life imprisonment on December 2, 2015. His sentence was a result of convictions for murder and Hobbs Act charges related to the armed robberies and the murder of Stephanie Anderson.
The legal case surrounding Anderson's death also involved a civil lawsuit filed by the Estate of Stephanie Anderson against Denny's, Inc. The lawsuit questioned the liability of Denny's, Inc. as the franchisor for the failure of the franchisee, Barreras Enterprises, Inc., to provide a safe working environment. However, the primary focus of the criminal justice system remained on prosecuting the individuals directly responsible for Anderson's death.
