Third teen arrested in auto-theft-turned homicide

A teen accused of shooting and killing a man with a group of others in 2024 while attempting to steal a truck has been arrested.

Timothy Garmon, 19, is charged with an open count of murder, three counts of aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon, three counts of tampering with evidence and a dozen other charges in connection with the death of Christopher Sanchez. 

He was arrested in February after allegedly stealing a firearm at gunpoint from a person during a weapons trade and is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center.

“Defendant was involved in a murder and is now using firearms to steal from innocent citizens,” states a pretrial detention motion filed in Metropolitan Court. “Defendant has already made efforts to avoid responsibility for his actions, so the court should not expect defendant to willingly abide by release conditions.”

Josiah Arvizu and Jeremy Jones, two alleged co-conspirators in the shooting, were arrested in 2025.

Police were dispatched to the 2000 block of Adams NE, near Menaul and Washington, around 3:20 a.m. Aug. 27, 2024, after receiving a call that a person had been shot in the head by a group attempting to steal a car, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Officers arrived and found Sanchez shot to death near his truck.

The ShotSpotter detection system indicated that 19 rounds had been fired in the area. 

Officers learned that a neighbor told Sanchez that his white GMC was being stolen and Sanchez armed himself with a rifle in an attempt to stop his vehicle from being stolen, the complaint states. 

“As (Sanchez) approached the vehicle, he was shot and killed by numerous unknown suspects who then fled the area on foot and in a light-colored SUV,” according to the complaint. 

Police saw the GMC had several bullet holes on the driver’s side and the window had been shattered, the complaint states. They also found a device that can be used to unlock and steal vehicles.

An informant reached out to officers and said that the group had traded the gun used in the shooting to a “crackhead” in the South Valley and said the teens used social media platforms to buy guns and drugs, according to the complaint. 

A search warrant was issued and police identified Garmon through videos posted on social media, the complaint states. Phone location data showed Garmon near the location of another family that had reported their vehicle missing. 

Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.