Man sentenced to 9 years in 2020 robbery, shooting death at ABQ park

A state district judge sentenced Jaden Sandoval on Friday to nine years in prison for his role in the 2020 robbery and shooting death of a man at a Northeast Albuquerque park.

Sandoval, 21, pleaded guilty in September to armed robbery and conspiracy for helping arrange a purported drug purchase that led to the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Elijah Mirabal.

Sandoval and a second youth wanted cocaine for a Halloween party but lacked the money to buy the drug, a prosecutor told 2nd Judicial District Judge Courtney Weaks at Sandoval’s sentencing hearing on Friday.

Sandoval used the social media platform Snapchat to set up a cocaine purchase with Mirabal with the intention of robbing him, Assistant District Attorney Guinevere Ice said.

The two teenagers met Mirabal at North Domingo Baca Park, near Wyoming and Paseo del Norte NE, resulting in an exchange of gunfire that killed Mirabal on Oct. 29, 2020, Ice said.

Sandoval’s co-defendant, Noah Duran, 20, was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder and other felonies in the killing. A judge last year sentenced Duran to 29 years in prison.

At Duran’s trial, prosecutors told jurors that Duran arrived at the park armed with an AK-47-style rifle later recovered near the park.

Duran and Sandoval walked up to the driver’s side of Mirabal’s car when Duran pulled the weapon from his hoodie and announced a robbery, Ice told jurors at Duran’s trial. Mirabal responded by drawing a pistol, and a gun battle ensued.

Duran fired 17 gunshots based on shell casings found at the scene, she said. Mirabal was fatally shot in the head and a passenger in Mirabal’s car was shot in the leg.

Duran’s attorney, Ryan Villa, told jurors at Duran’s trial that the teenagers had gone to the park to buy cocaine and described the incident as a “drug deal gone bad.”

Villa argued that Duran fired in self-defense after Mirabal pulled a pistol and began shooting.

Duran also was shot and seriously injured by four gunshots. The two teens fled and Sandoval drove Duran to a hospital.