Teen charged in fatal shooting outside South Valley bar

Aug. 3—A 17-year-old boy is accused of shooting and killing a man who bought the teen and his friends alcohol in April outside a South Valley bar.

Marcos Valdez is charged with an open count of murder in the April 23 death of Vicente Guerra, 26.

A warrant has been issued for Valdez's arrest.

An online obituary said Guerra had a son and daughter and "was a proud dad and loved them both."

"We remember him telling meaningful stories and always willing to share when we would ask," according to the obituary. "He enjoyed life on the edge, doing spontaneous things, like jumping over the 4th of July fireworks."

Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputies responded around 9:20 p.m. to a shooting outside Mike's Place, a bar on Isleta near Blake SW, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Metropolitan Court. Deputies found Guerra shot, and he died at the scene.

Deputies said surveillance video showed a gray car pull up in the parking lot next to Guerra, and he bought a bottle of alcohol for the people inside. As the car began to leave, video showed Guerra was walking away when several gunshots were fired from the driver's open window.

A car dealer came forward and told deputies he had sold an identical gray car to the mother of Valdez in February, according to the affidavit. Deputies searched the phone records of Valdez and two friends and discovered all three were outside the bar when the shooting occurred.

Deputies said Valdez's friend told them they had asked Guerra to buy them a bottle of alcohol as they were all underage. She said Valdez was in the driver's seat and she didn't see him fire a gun, but "felt the pressure of the rounds being fired and flinched."

Deputies said they believe, based on surveillance video and witness accounts, that Valdez fired at Guerra from the driver's seat before fleeing. The affidavit states "there was no altercation, no physical movement that would justify (Valdez) shooting (Guerra) in the back as he was walking away."