ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A judge has ruled that 19-year-old Alexis Monrroy will remain in custody while awaiting trial on multiple charges, including murder and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Monrroy is one of six teens charged in connection with the July 2 shooting death of 45-year-old Frank Howard, a homeless man found near a bus stop at Menaul and Eubank in Albuquerque. According to police, Monrroy and a group of juveniles—ranging in age from 12 to 16—had stolen a car in Santa Fe and drove to Albuquerque, where they picked up additional teens and began drinking.
Investigators say the group approached Howard at the bus stop around 3:20 a.m., taunted him, and then chased him before one of the teens allegedly fired two shots, striking Howard in the back. He died at the scene.
After the shooting, the group reportedly stole another vehicle, abandoned both stolen cars, and hitched a ride back to Santa Fe. Hours later, Santa Fe police responded to a disturbance at a Burger King involving the same group. Officers say the teens were involved in a fight with a family that included a pregnant woman, and one of the suspects flashed a handgun during the altercation.
The firearm recovered at the scene was later confirmed through ballistics testing to be the same weapon used in Howard’s killing.
Monrroy is facing charges including murder, conspiracy, auto theft, and five counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The 15-year-old alleged shooter is being held at the Bernalillo County Juvenile Justice Center and may be tried as an adult.
