Jun. 5—Two Albuquerque men are accused of fatally shooting an 18-year-old during a 2021 Halloween party in the southeastern part of the city.

Ray Torres, 28, was arrested Tuesday and charged with an open count of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Lorenzo Romero. Another person was shot in the incident and survived.

Torres is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center. He is being represented by attorney Joseph Sullivan, who said he had no comment. Torres’ mother also declined to comment.

An arrest warrant on the same charges has been issued for a second suspect, Alexavier Gutierrez, 26. He is on the loose.

Detectives were able to identify Torres from firearm tracing and Gutierrez through an Instagram account provided by a friend of one of the men, according to court records.

According to gunmemorial.org, Romero was known as having an outgoing personality and being a “gentle giant with a huge heart.”

At about 4:25 a.m. Oct. 31, 2021, police responded to a call of gunshots at an apartment complex in the 3000 block of Transport SE, near Sunport.

According to a criminal complaint filed at Metropolitan Court, callers told police someone had been shot and people were yelling and running from the apartment.

The complaint states that when police arrived, officers saw several vehicles leave the area quickly and a “seemingly abandoned” bullet-riddled Jeep in the middle of the street. Police said one of the people shot, Romero, was taken to a local hospital, where he died.

Police said a video caught Romero interacting with someone who was in the front passenger seat of the Jeep. The video showed a person in the back of the Jeep point “possibly a handgun,” then gunshots were heard and Romero fell.

A witness told police they saw the front passenger open fire, fatally shooting Romero and injuring another man, according to the complaint. Police could not identify the shooter(s) because of the distance the shooting took place from the person taking the video.

Police said they discovered the Jeep belonged to Torres’ stepfather. Sullivan, Torres’ attorney, turned a 9mm handgun over to police. Sullivan told them Torres “came in possession of the firearm” that was used in the homicide and was advised not to speak with police.

The complaint states the gun matched the bullets that killed Romero and a trace of the gun revealed it was purchased by Torres in April 2021.

Police said, last month, Gutierrez told them he was inside the Jeep and grabbed Torres’ gun after several armed people surrounded the vehicle. Gutierrez had been identified by a friend who gave police Gutierrez’s Instagram account.

Gutierrez told police that when he heard shots and thought one of them hit the vehicle, he fired back, according to the complaint. However, he told police he was not sure if he hit anyone.

About 10 days after speaking with police, a warrant was issued for Gutierrez. Police have yet to find him.