Uber Driver Killer Facing Federal Charges

Albuquerque –

State charges against 18-year-old Sheliky Sanchez have been dropped in the Second Judicial District of New Mexico (Bernalillo County) as of September 11, 2025, to allow the United States Attorney’s Office to take over the case and pursue federal charges in connection with the murder of Uber driver Joseph Andrus. On Septmeber 11, a Nolle Prosequi document was filed in district court.

The homicide occurred in the early morning hours of August 7, 2025, when Albuquerque Police officers responded to a call about an unresponsive man near the 400 block of Merlida St SW. The victim was found in the street with multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. According to a criminal complaint, the victim was a random Uber driver who had just picked up a passenger.

Investigators say Sanchez ordered the Uber with the intention of killing the driver, later identified as Joseph Andrus, who was shot multiple times before his vehicle, a Ford Escape, was stolen. Detectives tracked the stolen SUV to a residence on McMichael Lane NW, where Sanchez was arrested by APD SWAT and homicide units on August 8.

While Sanchez was initially booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on state charges, including an open count of murder and tampering with evidence, those charges have since been dismissed to make way for a federal prosecution.

The decision to move the case to federal court potentially stems from its connection to interstate commerce, as the victim was working as a driver for Uber, a company that operates across state lines. Federal prosecutors commonly assert jurisdiction in cases involving ride-share platforms under statutes like the Hobbs Act and Federal Carjacking laws, which apply when commercial services or vehicles involved in interstate commerce are impacted by violent crime.

On September 11, 2025, a Nolle Prosequi filing was entered in Second Judicial District Court, officially dismissing the state-level charges against Sheliky Sanchez. The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office stated the case was being referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for federal prosecution.

However, as of this publication, no federal indictment or criminal complaint has been located in public records.

When asked to confirm whether they are pursuing charges, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office responded, “no comment.”