March 2025: Second Judicial DA Obtains Murder & Assault Convictions and Sentences

Albuquerque –

This story covers various convictions and sentences from March 2025 issued by the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office. These convictions or sentences encompass charges related to first-degree murder, murder-for-hire, second-degree murder, sexual assault, child abuse, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

Man Pleads Guilty to Murder-for-Hire, Faces Life Sentence

On Thursday, March 6, Freddy Granger pled guilty to First-Degree Murder for his part in the murder-for-hire killing of Gary Escareno.

Granger shot and killed Escareno in exchange for a car, drugs, and cash. The crime happened near Candelaria and Juan Tabo in May, 2022. Granger faces life in prison for killing Escareno.

He has a long and violent criminal history dating back to 1999.

He is currently serving a 25-year sentence for federal crimes including selling illegal guns and 25 rounds of ammo to undercover ATF Agents.

In October 2023, officials charged him with possessing a deadly weapon or explosive as a prisoner, aggravated battery against a peace officer with a deadly weapon, three counts of aggravated assault against a peace officer with a deadly weapon, and resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer during an arrest.

U.S. Attorney’s Office Sentencing for Illegal Firearms Sales, Carjacking, and Weapons Offenses: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/albuquerque-man-sentenced-25-years-firearms-offenses-and-carjacking

Granger has a criminal history dating back to 1999. In 2000, he pleaded “Guilty Plea/Nolo Contendere” to Involuntary Manslaughter, Tampering with Evidence, and Firearm Enhancement. The charges originated in 1999.

In 2001, authorities charged him with Kidnapping in the First Degree, two counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Possession of a Firearm or Destructive Device by a Felon. He pleaded “Guilty Plea/Nolo Contendere” to Kidnapping and one count of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. The prosecution dismissed one count of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and the charge of Possession of a Firearm or Destructive Device by a Felon.

He was charged with a litany of other offenses, including Aggravated Assault (Deadly Weapon) and Attempt to Commit a Felony, to wit: First Degree Murder (Willful & Deliberate) in 2014. In this case, he pleaded guilty to four of the eight charges, but the prosecutor at the time dismissed the Attempt to Commit a Felony, to wit: First Degree Murder (Willful & Deliberate) charge.

In 2022, Authorities charged him with Armed Robbery Receipt, Transportation or Possession of a Firearm or Destructive Device by Certain Persons, Resisting, Evading, or Obstructing an Officer (Refusal to Stop), Concealing Identity, Leaving the Scene of an Accident (No Great Bodily Harm or Death), Evidence of Registration, No Insurance, No Driver’s License, and Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery. These charges were all transferred to District Court.

On October 8, 2023, officials charged Granger with possessing a deadly weapon or explosive while incarcerated, aggravated battery against a peace officer with a deadly weapon, three counts of aggravated assault against a peace officer with a deadly weapon, and resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer during an arrest. The criminal complaint states that an inmate, Granger, stabbed a corrections officer (CO) multiple times in the head with a weapon. Granger reportedly used a 12-inch rod, which he had turned into a shank, to stab the corrections officer. The complaint indicates the piece of metal originated from his cell, though it was not sharpened. The CO sustained at least two wounds to their head near their ear. Granger pleaded guilty to possessing a deadly weapon or explosive while incarcerated and aggravated battery against a peace officer with a deadly weapon.

Bosque Rapist Sentenced to 54 Years for Decades-Old Crime

A judge sentenced Gilbert Contreras to 54 years in the New Mexico Corrections Department on Thursday, March 6.

Last fall, a jury convicted Contreras of 2 Counts of Criminal Sexual Penetration Resulting in Great Mental Anguish, Great Bodily Harm, and Kidnapping for a rape that had remained unsolved for three decades.

Background:

On November 26, 1994, a woman was jogging in the Bosque when she was dragged into a secluded area where Contreras beat, kicked and brutally raped the victim. DNA linked him to the crime. Our Cold Case Rape Unit known as SAKI (Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Unit) prosecuted this case. The victim has since passed away. Her family was in the courtroom during the trial.

Over the past year, the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Rape Unit secured convictions for 23 individuals in sexual assault cases. The unit dedicates itself to pursuing justice for victims and their families.

Contreras has a criminal record going back to 1986.

Mother Who Brutally Beat 5-Year-Old Son Sentenced

On Thursday, March 6, a judge sentenced Natalie Saiz to 10 years in the New Mexico Corrections Department. Saiz’s boyfriend, Phillip Valencia, is also spending a decade behind bars. With “good time” and time served, it is unknown if they will be out in five years.

Background:

On October 29, 2023, a tip about a severely injured child prompted someone to call police to an Albuquerque home. When police arrived, they found the little boy with bruising to his face and entire body. The little boy’s eyes were swollen shut. In December 2024, Saiz pled guilty to Abandonment of a Child, Abuse of a Child, and Bribery.

16-Year-Old Sentenced to One Year in Juvenile Detention for Role in Attempted Robbery

On March 21st, a judge sentenced 16-year-old Jocelyn Pino, who was involved in an attempted robbery, to one year in a juvenile detention facility.

Police say on January 29, 2025, Pino and seven other teens surrounded a couple in a jeep in the parking lot of an Albuquerque Apartment Complex. Police say the group planned on robbing the couple. Two teens, armed with guns, shot and injured the female passenger in the jeep. The victim’s husband, also armed, then opened fire and killed 14-year-old Alonzo Sanderson as the teen attempted to rob the couple.

The vehicle the teens were in during the attempted robbery belonged to Pino. Having admitted to Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, she received her sentence on March 21st.

Four other suspects, Jeriah Salas, 15, Elijah Gutierrez, 14, Vicente Pino, 17, and Janiyah Pino, 15, are still in custody, and their cases are pending.

While the DA’s office awaits evidence in this case, they have released two other suspects: 12-year-old Jathan Gutierrez and 13-year-old Levi Salas.

According to a police spokesman, family connections among the suspects include:

• Elijah Gutierrez and Jathan Gutierrez are brothers.
• Vicente Pino and Janiyah Pino are siblings.
• Jeriah Salas and Levi Salas are brothers.
• Police did not say if Jocelyn Pino was related to Vicente Pino and Janiyah Pino.

Jeriah Salas and Levi Salas’ uncle, Jason Roper, was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison by the US Attorney for armed robbery at Ross stores.

Teen Involved in Drive-By Shooting Death of 5-Year-Old Girl Sentenced

The court sentenced one of the five teens involved in the drive-by shooting that killed 5-year-old Galilea Samaniego.

On Monday, March 24, a judge handed down a 20-year sentence to Jose Ramirez, who will serve time in the New Mexico Department of Corrections.

According to police, on August 13, 2023, Ramirez and four other teens stole two cars and drove to a mobile home park in southwest Albuquerque. The group fired shots at a unit, striking and killing 5-year-old Galilea Samaniego as she slept.

Ramirez pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in December. At the time of the crime, he was 17 years old. The court sentenced him as an adult on March 24.

15-Year-Old Involved in Drive-By Shooting Death of 5-Year-Old Girl Sentenced

The court sentenced the second of the five teens involved in the drive-by shooting that killed 5-year-old Galilea Samaniego.

A judge sentenced Alan Ramirez to 20 years in the New Mexico Department of Corrections on Monday, March 24, 2025.

Police report that on August 13, 2023, Ramirez and four other teens, including his brother, stole two cars and drove to a mobile home park in southwest Albuquerque. The group fired at a unit, striking and killing 5-year-old Galilea Samaniego, who was asleep inside.

Ramirez, now 17, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in December. He was 15 at the time of the shooting. On March 24, the court sentenced him as an adult. A police spokesperson reported that Jose Ramirez and Alan Ramirez are brothers.

Third Teen Involved in Shooting Death of 5-Year-Old Child Sentenced

On the afternoon of Monday, March 24, a judge sentenced Yahir Carballo to 16 years in prison. Carballo became the third of the five teens to receive a sentence in this case.

On August 13, 2023, Carballo, along with four other teens, was in stolen vehicles when they drove by a mobile home park in southwest Albuquerque and opened fire. The teens shot and killed five-year-old Galilea Samaniego while she was sleeping inside the home. She was not the intended target.

Carballo attempted to shoot at the home, but his gun jammed.

Jury Convicts Man of First-Degree Murder in Revenge Killing

On Monday, March 24, a jury convicted Theodore Toney of first-degree murder for the shooting death of Kenneth Ellis.

The incident occurred on April 6, 2024, during a dance event in the 500 block of San Pedro in northeast Albuquerque.

Investigators state that Toney killed Ellis as an act of revenge, as Ellis had testified against Toney’s son in a 2016 homicide trial. Following Ellis’s testimony, Toney had made threats against Ellis and his family.

Toney now faces a life sentence in prison. The court has reportedly scheduled his sentencing for June 2025.

Toney has a criminal history dating back to 1997, when he pleaded guilty to robbery and two counts of firearm enhancement. He pleaded “Nolo Contendere” to two additional firearm enhancement charges and robbery. Legally, a “Nolo Contendere” plea functions as a guilty plea in court proceedings, but it does not constitute an admission of guilt by the person entering the plea. The robbery charge and firearm enhancement were felony charges.

In 2000, authorities charged him with Felon in Possession of a Firearm/Destructive Device and Tampering with Evidence. The DA at the time dismissed the charges, reportedly because a U.S. District Court indicted Toney.

In 2005, authorities charged him with Aggravated Assault Against a Household Member, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and two counts of Battery Against a Household Member, along with Battery. The prosecutor later dismissed the two Battery Against a Household Member charges and the Battery charge. He pleaded “Guilty/No Contest Plea” to Aggravated Assault Against a Household Member and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

Man Convicted of Murdering Former Sex Partner Sentenced to Life in Prison

On Tuesday, March 25, a judge sentenced Jose Mendoza Espinoza to life in prison in the New Mexico Corrections Department, along with an additional 12 years for tampering with evidence.

Background:

In February, a jury convicted Mendoza Espinoza of first-degree murder and four counts of tampering with evidence.

In September 2023, Mendoza Espinoza brutally murdered 35-year-old Sherlyn Marjorie, a transgender woman he had been in a sexual relationship with for several years.

Mendoza Espinoza told investigators he killed Marjorie after she allegedly demanded money and threatened to reveal their ongoing affair to his family.

Marjorie’s friends found her car first, and a few days later, search crews discovered her body in a ditch.

Judge Sentences Man to Nearly Two Decades for 1992 Rape of 10-year-old

On Wednesday, March 26, a judge sentenced Freddy Valenzuela to 18 years in the New Mexico Corrections Department for the 1992 rape of a 10-year-old girl. Valenzuela grabbed the child as she walked in her neighborhood mid-day, dragged her into an alley, threatened her life, and then raped her.

The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Cold Case Rape Unit, also known as the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), investigated the case. DNA from a rape kit matched Valenzuela after testing the kit in 2020 as part of the effort to clear the rape kit backlog. Valenzuela pled guilty to the rape last December.

Although the victim passed away in 2019, her family pursued the case and spoke on her behalf in court on Wednesday, March 26. “The victim’s family thanked us for not giving up and that we fought to see it through,” said SAKI Prosecutor Jack Bennett Jacks “This victim suffered a lifetime of trauma because of Valenzuela. We sincerely hope today’s sentence brings some closure and justice for her family. Our SAKI Team is relentless when it comes to fighting for these victims — no matter how old these cases are,” said Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.

Valenzuela has a criminal history dating back to the 1980s for aggravated burglary, robbery, receiving stolen property, battery, and so on.

Second-Degree Murder Conviction for Man Who Killed Ex-Girlfriend’s Friend

On Friday, March 28, a jury convicted Chase Brandon Cuffie of Second-Degree Murder and three counts of Aggravated Assault (Deadly Weapon).

The murder happened on July 15, 2023, at an apartment complex in northwest Albuquerque. Cuffie hid in his ex-girlfriend’s apartment after stalking her for several months. He then forced her and her friends inside the apartment. When the victim, Craig Dixon ran for the door, Cuffie shot him multiple times, killing Dixon.

Cuffie faces over 33 years in the Department of Corrections. Sentencing will reportedly take place in July 2025.

Cuffie has prior domestic violence charges, including stalking, going back to 2022. Cuffie pleaded guilty to one count of Violation of Restraining Order Prohibiting Domestic Violence in 2022. In 2023, authorities charged him with Violation of a Restraining Order Prohibiting Domestic Violence and Criminal Trespass, but in August of 2024, a jury acquitted him.

Cuffie faces additional charges for Possession of a Deadly Weapon or Explosive by a Prisoner. On or around September 9, 2024, authorities found Cuffie in possession of a shank at MDC. They are allegedly trying him for this in May of 2025.

**Any individuals referenced in this or other ABQ RAW reports who have not been formally charged or convicted are legally presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.**

EDITOR NOTE:

Please note that in many of the mentioned instances, the District Attorney who dismissed or pleaded down the charges was not the incumbent District Attorney.