Arrests have been made after two men attacked the accused in a murder trial in a New Mexico courtroom.
The chaos unfolded in Albuquerque, where two men stormed the gallery and started a brawl with a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend.
The fight broke out Friday during a district court hearing when Carlos Lucero, the uncle of victim Alianna Farfan, rushed at Alexander Ortiz as he stood before a judge, KRQE reported.
Video shows Lucero throwing the defendant to the ground and appearing to punch him. A second man, identified as Pete Ysasi, jumps in while the accused’s father also got involved, according to the outlet.
Two women try to pull the men away as a corrections officer is also punched trying to shield the defendant and break up the brawl before the group was separated.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office told KRQE that while Lucero was detained, he told deputies he went after Ortiz because he allegedly “killed my niece like a coward” and “it was worth every moment.”
Ortiz is accused of killing Farfan at an Albuquerque apartment complex on Jan. 11, 2024.
Detectives previously told the outlet that the two had an abusive relationship and that Ortiz was upset with Farfan on the day of the shooting. Cops said Ortiz was in her bedroom before witnesses allegedly heard a gunshot and then saw him fleeing through a window.
The accused was also considered a suspect in another deadly shooting days after Farfan’s murder, according to the Albuquerque Police Department. Ortiz also faces multiple charges, including murder, in the death of a 35-year-old woman who was killed outside a food market on Jan. 17, 2024.
Lucero and Ysasi, meanwhile, have been charged with assault and battery on a peace officer.