Man admits he killed 4-year-old in freeway shooting, police say

Lopez said she and Albuquerque Police Officers Association vice president Shaun Willoughby visited the scene of the shooting and urged the community to support officers.

Alan Garcia was driving and was trying to exit the highway, but a vehicle driven by Torrez cut across two lanes of traffic and blocked him, reports say. He has been charged with first degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, assault with murder, the intent to commit a violent felony, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, child abuse, child abuse resulting in death and tampering with evidence. Todd Farkas, his public defender, has declined to comment.

Garduno is organizing a vigil Saturday in honor of the girl.

What sparked the suspect’s alleged “road rage” is unclear. Torrez had his head down most of the time and didn’t appear to make any comments.

The other driver told police he was able to disarm Torrez, causing the gun to drop to the ground, and put him in a chokehold. He is being held on $650,000 cash bond. The man in the other auto, who police say was Torrez, opened fire on Garcia’s pickup truck, hitting Lilly in the head.

Now, authorities are citing his history and that of a convicted felon accused of shooting and critically wounding an Albuquerque police officer this week as examples of a criminal justice system they say is broken, underfunded and can leave law enforcement and the public more vulnerable to violence. A chase ensued with Torrez allegedly firing four shots.

“She just had this smile and handsome big brown eyes that just light up a room”, Veronica Garcia said in between sobs.

“The father, recognizing that he did in fact hear shots, saw that his daughter was bleeding, pulled to the edge of the road and tried to administer first aid”.

With help from an anonymous caller, detectives found Torrez, who “confessed to investigators he was responsible”, police said. Albuquerque officer Simon Drobik told ABC News station KOAT, “From what we understand, the cars were both moving”.

In this video frame grab provided by the Albuquerque Metro Court, Tony Torrez, center, stands with p …

The only crime for which he has been prosecuted was a misdemeanor speeding violation.

He also faced aggravated battery and kidnapping charges previous year that were dismissed, online records show.

The grandfather of a 4-year-old girl killed in a road rage shooting says something has to be done about gun violence.

Garcia died after being transported to the hospital for her gunshot wounds. A 4-year-old girl, Lilly Garcia, was killed.

The shooting occurred around 7:45 p.m.by a Walgreen’s near the junction of Eubank and Central Avenue, just south of Interstate 40.