Albuquerque man convicted of first-degree murder in 2019 shooting death

A state district court jury on Wednesday found Adam Cazares guilty of first-degree murder for the 2019 shooting death of a man during a robbery at a Northeast Albuquerque apartment complex.

Cazares, 34, shot and killed 21-year-old Calvin Kelly, who was killed by a single gunshot wound to the back at The Retreat at Candelaria apartments, near Morris and Candelaria NE.

Cazares faces a mandatory life sentence, which requires him to serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole. Second Judicial District Judge Jennifer Wernersbach has not scheduled his sentencing hearing.

Cazares was tried in October 2022 on the same charge, but a judge declared a mistrial after the jury failed to reach a verdict.

Cazares’ co-defendant, 18-year-old Jassiah Montoya, pleaded guilty in 2021 to first-degree murder for his role in Kelly’s death. Montoya, who was 15 at the time of Kelly’s death, was sentenced last year to 21 years in prison.

Albuquerque police were dispatched on July 10, 2019, to The Retreat apartments, where they found Kelly in the parking lot with a single gunshot wound to his back. He died at the scene.

Witnesses told police they heard a single gunshot and saw a white car fleeing the area, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Police allege that a robbery attempt by Cazares and Montoya led to Kelly’s death, the complaint said.

A witness told police that Montoya and Cazares walked up to Kelly, held him at gunpoint, told him not to run and ordered him to empty his pockets, the complaint said.

When Kelly tried to run, Cazares shot him in the back with a rifle, it said.