Fatal Road Rage Suspect Caught, Already Convicted of Murder in 2012 Case

Albuquerque –

On Friday, SWAT officers arrested 31-year-old Cecilio Sanchez Lopez after homicide detectives charged him in the road-rage murder of 19-year-old Roman Valenciano, which occurred Thursday, March 26. Lopez is accused of fatally shooting Valenciano, who was struck by gunfire while Valenciano was driving in a gray Nissan Sentra to pick up his mother after work.

According to police, the incident began Thursday around 1:45 p.m. on San Mateo Blvd NE. Court records state that surveillance video captured a silver Ford Mustang making a U-turn at Phoenix Rd., pulling directly into the path of Valenciano’s Sentra. Per the complaint “the silver Mustang periodically brake checked the gray Sentra and would stop in the road.”

As the Sentra continued south on San Mateo, the Mustang accelerated and pulled parallel to the Sentra’s passenger side near Tully’s Restaurant, located at 1425 San Mateo Blvd NE. APD detectives determined the shooting occurred near this location, which matched a ShotSpotter notification of two rounds fired at 1:48 PM. According to the criminal complaint, one bullet struck Valenciano while the other exited the driver’s side window. The Sentra slowed to a stop in traffic as the Mustang fled the area.

The complaint says when APD officers arrived on scene they used force to gain entry to Valenciano’s vehicle. We can confirm this fact, we observed an APD officer use his closed fist to break the window open to try to render aid to Valenciano. The officer could be seen with medical gauze wrapped around his fist as he handled the initial investigation.

APD investigators used Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) to identify the Mustang’s license plate. Per the complaint, the vehicle was registered to Lopez’s significant other, and Lopez was identified as a person of interest who was currently on probation for a previous felony.

According to the criminal complaint, cell phone records also confirmed Lopez’s device was in the immediate area at the time of the shooting. Forensic data and witness observations further revealed that Lopez returned to the crime scene three separate times later that afternoon to observe the police investigation before returning to a home in the North Valley.

Detectives also uncovered an attempt to hide the vehicle’s involvement in the crime. Per the complaint, ALPR data from late Thursday night showed the Mustang, previously silver, had been painted black.

On Friday, APD detectives located the black Mustang parked behind a residence; despite the new paint, the car retained the same distinct wheels, spoiler, rear window louvers, and same license plate.

SWAT officers executed search and arrest warrants at the North Valley home on Friday evening. Lopez now faces the following charges:

• Open count of murder 

• Tampering with evidence 

• Shooting at or from a motor vehicle resulting in death 

• Felon in possession of a firearm

On Friday night, we attempted to contact APD’s Civilian Public Information Officer Gilbert Gallegos to find out more information about Lopez and why he was on probation. The complaint for this incident mentions Lopez’s probation officer and that Lopez is currently being monitored on probation for a previous felony conviction. It also states that he has been on probation for at least three years.

Based on records we were able to obtain, Lopez was charged in 2012 with Murder in the first degree (felony murder) – attempt [ D-202-YR-2012-00006 ], Aggravated assault (deadly weapon) [ D-202-YR-2012-00006 ], Child Abuse (GBH) (Intentional or Recklessly) [ D-202-YR-2012-00006 ], and Unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon on school premises [ D-202-YR-2012-00006 ].

In 2012, authorities investigated the fatal stabbing of a student at Cesar Chavez Community School and determined that the victim was not the intended target. The then-17-year-old Cecilio Lopez was charged in the killing of Jose De la Paz, also 17. Investigators said De la Paz was stabbed when he stepped in to break up a fight between Lopez and another teen. Because Lopez was 17 at the time, he was likely charged under the juvenile system, and under New Mexico laws that protect juvenile records, the complaint in this case is not publicly accessible.

In May 2024, Lopez was booked into MDC for a probation violation. It is unclear what the violation involved, though it may be connected to the 2012 case, which was filed when he was 17.