Two men have been arrested after a video showed chaos inside a New Mexico courtroom as they stormed the gallery and started a brawl with a murder suspect.
The incident happened on Friday morning at a district court hearing in Albuquerque when Carlos Lucero, the uncle of the victim, rushed at suspect Alexander Ortiz along with another man, Pete Ysasi, while Ortiz was standing before a judge, KRQE reported.
The video shows Lucero breaking into the gallery and punching Ortiz before Ysasi joined in.
Members of the family and officers tried to intervene to stop the altercation, but it only escalated.
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A routine court hearing devolved into chaos when two people in the gallery rushed at the defendant and ended up starting a brawl. (KOAT)
A corrections officer was also punched as he tried to break up the fight, according to the video.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office informed KRQE that Lucero stated he went after Ortiz because, “he killed my niece like a coward,” and “it was worth every moment.”
Both men are now charged with assault and battery on a peace officer.
The district court emphasized the importance of courtroom security in light of this incident.
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Newly-released video shows a fight that broke out Friday morning during a hearing in a courtroom in Albuquerque. (KRQE)
“This is just one more incident that we continue to deal with. These are the types of things that we see regularly,” said Katina Watson, CEO, Second Judicial District Court.
Watson commended the officer for his prompt response to the brawl.
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Chaos broke out in a New Mexico courtroom after relatives of a murdered woman lunged at her accused killer. (KRQE)
Ortiz is accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Alianna Farfan, at an Albuquerque apartment complex on Jan. 11, 2024.
Detectives previously told KRQE that the two had an abusive relationship and that Ortiz was upset with Farfan on the day of the shooting. Police said Ortiz was in her bedroom the night of the shooting and that witnesses heard a gunshot and then saw him fleeing through a window.
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Ortiz was also considered a suspect in another deadly shooting days after Farfan’s murder, according to the Albuquerque Police Department.
KRQE reported he was charged with murder in Farfan’s death and is now charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder resulting in death, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and tampering with evidence in 35-year-old Nicole Maldonado’s death., who was killed outside a food market on Jan. 17, 2024.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]
