Jury convicts 19-year-old man of first-degree murder in 2021 university area shooting

Jurors convicted 19-year-old Santiago Silva of first-degree murder on Thursday, rejecting his argument that he fatally shot a man in self-defense in 2021.

Jurors also convicted Silva of armed robbery and tampering with evidence in the death of 23-year-old Matthew Chavez behind a convenience store near the University of New Mexico campus.

Silva faces a mandatory life sentence for the first-degree murder conviction, requiring him to serve at least 30 years in prison before he is eligible for parole. State District Judge Brett Loveless has not scheduled Silva’s sentencing hearing.

Jurors deliberated less than a day before reaching their verdicts on the fourth day of Silva’s trial in 2nd Judicial District Court.

Prosecutors told jurors that Silva fired the fatal shot as the unarmed Chavez was attempting to run away. Chavez was killed by a single gunshot that struck him in the lower left side of his back.

Albuquerque police, who responded to reports of a shooting shortly after midnight on July 29, 2021, found Chavez lying in an alley behind the Quick Track gas station at 1720 Central SE, on the southwest corner of University and Central. Chavez died at the scene.

Silva’s attorney, Brian Pori, told jurors that Silva, then 17, fired in self-defense after two larger, older men approached him in an alley and asked Silva if he had “blues” — a slang term for fentanyl.

“He had no idea who these men were,” Pori said during opening statements on Tuesday. “He didn’t approach them; they approached him.”

Silva had been walking to his neighborhood convenience store to buy snacks at the time, Pori told jurors. The two men “surrounded” Silva, who felt frightened and bullied by the men, he said.

Jurors viewed security video that recorded the fatal three-minute encounter. The video showed Silva, Chavez and a third, unidentified man who appeared to say a few words before walking out of the image.

Silva and Chavez then had a brief exchange in which Chavez appeared to pull items out of his pockets before Silva drew a weapon from his hoodie, the video showed. The video had no audio.

Chavez shoved Silva and began running. Silva pointed the weapon at Chavez, who fell to the ground. Silva then picked up several items and ran away.

Prosecutors allege that Silva robbed Chavez of Suboxone, a drug used to treat people for opioid addiction. An unopened Suboxone package and a single shell casing were found at the scene.

Assistant District Attorney Crystal Cabrido told jurors that Silva fatally shot the unarmed Chavez in the back without provocation.

“You will not hear any evidence to support the defendant’s theory that Mr. Chavez or any other individual did anything to provoke the shooting,” Cabrido told jurors.