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Prosecutors: Fatal carjacking began with a plan to steal wigs
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A second man pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder in the 2023 shooting death of 61-year-old Alfonso Aguilar during a carjacking outside a Southeast Albuquerque motel.
Prosecutors contend the fatal carjacking stemmed from a plan by three co-defendants to steal wigs.
Joseph C. Griego, 29, faces from six to 15 years in prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled April 8 before 2nd Judicial District Judge Joseph Montano.
Griego also pleaded guilty to felony counts of armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and tampering with evidence.
The man prosecutors describe as the gunman, Juan De La Rosa, 22, pleaded guilty Dec. 30 to second-degree murder and other charges and faces up 24 years in prison.
A third co-defendant, Lacey Cormier, 44, is scheduled for trial Jan. 20 on first-degree murder and other charges.
Albuquerque police responded on July 4, 2023, to a shooting at the Luxury Inn on Central, just west of Louisiana, where officers found Aguilar in critical condition with a bullet wound to his chest. He died in a hospital six days later.
“On July 4, 2023, (Griego) along with Juan De La Rosa and Lacey Cormier were on their way to steal wigs,” prosecutors wrote in a motion filed in district court.
Griego told De La Rosa to find a vehicle for the theft, the motion said. De La Rosa approached Aguilar, who was sitting in his truck, and demanded the vehicle. Aguilar complied after De La Rosa pulled out a gun.
After Aguilar exited the truck, “the trio hopped in and started to drive away,” the motion said. Aguilar “was hanging onto the door of the truck when Juan (De La Rosa) shot him.”
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Police said surveillance video showed a “bow-legged” man with curly dark hair shoot Aguilar during a carjacking outside the motel, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.
Police found Aguilar’s truck days later outside a North Valley home, the complaint said. The resident told police De La Rosa had left the truck at her residence, according to the complaint.
