Murder victim’s family member attacks suspect during court hearing
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KOAT) – A murder suspect appeared in court for a hearing on Friday in Albuquerque.
It was a routine proceeding, but that changed.
The courtroom video shows how things spiraled after a family member of the victim sparked a melee.
It seemed like an ordinary court hearing in room 420 of the 2nd District Court.
Alexander Ortiz stood before a judge, accused of murdering Alianna Farfan.
All of a sudden, chaos broke out when police say Carlos Lucero, the victim’s uncle, jumped over the courtroom gate and started to punch Ortiz.
Ortiz and the officer next to him fell to the ground, but a second man, who police identified as Pete Ysasi, then joined the brawl and also attacked Ortiz.
Police say Ortiz’s father also joined the scrum to defend his son. The elder Ortiz punched Ysasi and Lucero.
The melee went on for about a minute with more people rushing in.
Eventually, deputies restored order, handcuffing Lucero, Ysasi and Ortiz’s father.
Ortiz was taken out of the courtroom.
Lucero and Ysasi were both charged with felonies, which included battery upon a peace officer and assault on a jail.
According to the criminal complaint, Lucero explained why he did it.
“He killed my niece like a coward” and “it was worth every moment,” Lucero said, according to court documents.
Meanwhile, Ortiz’s father told officers he was trying to “break up the fight.”
The two who attacked Ortiz were released from jail on their own recognizance.
A plea hearing for Ortiz was reset for Friday with extra security requested.
Courthouse chaos: Family of slain woman attacks suspect during hearing in Albuquerque
Feb. 1—A hearing for an accused murderer erupted in chaos Friday when the victim’s family attacked the suspect, leading to a courtroom melee that injured a corrections officer and saw both side’s families get in on the action.
Only the two who started the fight inside the 2nd Judicial District courthouse in Downtown Albuquerque are behind bars.
Carlos Lucero, 40, and Pete Ysasi, 51, are each charged with battery upon a peace officer and unlawful assault on a jail in the incident, fourth- and third-degree felonies, respectively. Lucero and Ysasi have been ordered released on their own recognizance.
Lucero’s mugshot showed he had one eye swollen shut and a cut to his face, while Ysasi’s face appeared untouched in his booking photo.
In courtroom video obtained by KRQE-TV, Lucero is seen jumping over a courtroom gate and attacking Alexander Ortiz, who is facing trial in the killing of Lucero’s niece, Alianna Farfan. Ortiz and the corrections officer beside him fall to the ground, and Lucero begins punching Ortiz. Ysasi is seen jumping the divider and joining Lucero.
In the video, Ortiz’s father walks briskly up to the scuffle and throws punches of his own at Lucero and Ysasi before several others from the gallery get involved. During the melee, according to police, Ysasi and Lucero struck a corrections officer trying to shield Ortiz from the attack.
The hearing for Ortiz was reset for Feb. 7 in front of Judge Cindy Leos, according to court records, with an attached note: “Security needed in courtroom.”
Ortiz has been behind bars since February 2024, when he was arrested in the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend, 23-year-old Farfan. After being booked into jail on that case, Ortiz was accused in the death of another woman outside an East Central convenience store.
Court records show Carlos Lucero and his wife were granted custody of Farfan’s 1-year-old daughter two months after the homicide.
On Friday, Bernalillo County deputies working at the courthouse were called around 9:30 a.m. to a fight in courtroom 420, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Deputies detained several people, including Lucero and Ysasi, who had “visible lacerations” from the scuffle.
Deputies said Lucero told them he didn’t want to talk but stated “he killed my niece like a coward” and “it was worth every moment.” Ortiz’s father told deputies he was trying to “break up the fight.”
The father, Lucero and Ysasi were all taken to a hospital to be treated before the pair were booked into MDC.
