Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman

SAVE THE DATE: DECEMBER 1, 2026 TAKING ON THE FENTANYL CRISIS THAT IS KILLING NEW MEXICANS Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman will host an all-day public forum bringing together first responders, care providers, justice advocates, and others on the front lines of the fentanyl crisis. THE FENTANYL CRISIS IN BERNALILLO COUNTY: WHAT’S WORKING, WHAT ISN’T, AND WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER? The goal: share experiences, confront challenges, and identify real solutions to protect our communities and save lives. “The fentanyl crisis is destroying lives and killing New Mexicans. We have to do something. By bringing together the people on the front lines, we can work together to find solutions and make a difference,” said DA Sam Bregman. 📍 WHERE: Albuquerque Convention Center 🕘 WHEN: December 1, 2026, beginning at 9 a.m. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO ATTEND. More information to come.

Man Sentenced to Life Plus Six Years for Murdering 60-Year-Old Albuquerque Man Today a judge sentenced Jarrett Chacon to life in prison plus six additional years for the murder of 60-year-old Larry Norsworthy. In August, a jury convicted Chacon of First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Burglary, Robbery, Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Burglary, Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, and Tampering with Evidence. The murder occurred on April 3, 2023 at Norsworthy’s apartment in the 200 block of Charleston in Northeast Albuquerque. Chacon forced his was into the apartment and fatally beat Norsworthy. Following the murder, Chacon took Norsworthy’s wallet, credit cards, cell phone, and a new pair of tennis shoes before fleeing in Norsworthy’s vehicle with his girlfriend. Chacon’s girlfriend, Jasmine Trujillo, previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, aggravated burglary, and conspiracy. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison and agreed to testify against Chacon.

Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Child Over Multiple Years- Jaime Villanueva was sentenced to 40 years in prison after a Bernalillo County jury found him guilty of seven counts of child sex abuse involving a young victim. The abuse began when the victim was approximately 9 years old and continued until she was 13. In April, Villanueva was convicted of two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor, three counts of criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13, and two counts of criminal sexual penetration in the second degree involving a child ages 13 to 18. The victim eventually disclosed the abuse to a school counselor, who notified law enforcement. The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office Special Victims Unit prosecuted the case, resulting in Villanueva’s conviction.

🎃 Have a safe and happy Halloween! From everyone at the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, we wish you and your family a fun-filled Halloween! Remember to watch out for little trick-or-treaters, stay safe, and enjoy the festivities!

🎃👻 THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR TRUNK OR TREAT! 🍬🚗 A big THANK YOU to everyone who came out to celebrate with us! We hope you had an amazing time, enjoyed some spooky fun, and went home with lots of great treats! We sure loved seeing all the smiling faces and adorable kiddos! A special shoutout to everyone who stopped by to say hello to our very own support pups, Rosie and Woodstock! 🐾❤️ They loved being part of the fun and seeing everyone! From all of us at the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, we wish you and your families a safe, happy, and spooktacular Halloween! 🎃🕸️ #TrunkOrTreat #HappyHalloween #SupportPups #RosieAndWoodstock #Community #BernalilloCountyDA

MAN SENTENCED TO MORE THAN THREE DECADES IN PRISON IN DRUG DEAL REVENGE KILLING Noe Vega has been sentenced to 32 years in the New Mexico Corrections Department for shooting and killing Valerie Gabaldon in northwest Albuquerque March 11, 2025. Vega pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed robbery last March, a year after the deadly shooting. Vega told detectives he shot Gabaldon and stole her cash because her boyfriend had stolen money and drugs from him. Officers said they found a handgun on Vega, who matched the description of the suspect in the shooting at 120 57th St. NW. Police also conducted surveillance on Vega while officers spoke with neighbors who heard the gunshot.

Mother Sentenced to 18 Years for Drug-Related Death of 4-Month-Old Son After Infant Was Exposed to Methamphetamine - Today a judge sentenced Gabriella Muniz to 18 years in the New Mexico Corrections Department for the death of her 4-month-old son. In July, Muniz pleaded no contest to child abuse resulting in death. Background: On June 5, 2025, Albuquerque police arrested Muniz and the infant’s father, Victor Gonzales, in connection with the case. The baby was born with methamphetamine in his system. Illegal drugs were also found in the home where the infant later died. Earlier this year, Gonzales was sentenced to more than two decades in prison for his role in the baby’s death.

ALBUQUERQUE COUPLE EACH SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN NEW MEXICO CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT FOR INFANT’S FENTANYL, METH OVERDOSE DEATH Monique Sanchez and Thomas Soto have each been sentenced to 15 years in the New Mexico Corrections Department in connection with the 2024 overdose death of an infant. In July, Sanchez and Soto pleaded guilty to Abandonment of a Child Resulting in Death and Child Abuse. BACKGROUND: Sanchez and Soto were hosting a Super Bowl party at Soto’s apartment near Montgomery Boulevard and I-25 when they placed the 1-year-old infant on a couch to sleep. The child was later found unresponsive and could not be revived. The Office of the Medical Investigator determined the infant died from acute fentanyl and methamphetamine toxicity. Investigators also found drug residue on a jacket that had been left on the couch where the child had been sleeping. Two additional children living in the home had also been exposed to fentanyl and methamphetamine, with both testing positive for the drugs.

JURY FINDS MAN GUILTY OF STRANGLING, BITING, AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTING WOMAN A jury this afternoon found Jesus Medina guilty of seven charges, including two counts of Criminal Sexual Penetration, two counts of Attempted Criminal Sexual Penetration, Aggravated Battery Against a Household Member, and two counts of Battery Against a Household Member. BACKGROUND: Medina met the victim online, and the two dated for approximately two years. In October 2024, Medina became angry with the victim, strangled, bit and hit her, then sexually assaulted her. Medina faces up to 20 years in the New Mexico Corrections Department. Sentencing will take place at a later date.  Katie Feigenbaum and Lisa Roybal of our Special Victims Unit prosecuted this case. Our office remains committed to holding offenders accountable and pursuing justice for victims of violence.

MAN CONVICTED OF SEXUALLY ABUSING LITTLE GIRL SENTENCED TO 19 YEARS IN PRISON A judge today sentenced Steven Dimas to 19 years in the New Mexico Corrections Department for sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl and intimidating her to keep her silent. In June, a jury convicted Dimas of three counts of Criminal Sexual Contact of a Minor Under the Age of 13 and one count of Intimidation of a Witness. The victim knew Dimas and was just 9 years old at the time of the abuse. Dimas threatened the child and told her not to tell anyone about what happened.

JUDGE GRANTS STATE’S REQUEST TO EXHUME REMAINS OF SERIAL RAPIST FROM SANTA FE NATIONAL CEMETERY A judge late this afternoon granted the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office request to exhume the remains of serial rapist Michael Magirl from the Santa Fe National Cemetery. The State seeks to test Magirl’s cremated remains to determine whether they contain a single-source DNA profile matching DNA evidence that linked him to a July 8, 2002 rape case. Days after that crime, on July 20, 2002, Magirl was killed with his own firearm during an attempted rape. “We will continue doing everything we can to find answers for victims and survivors and, hopefully, help bring some sense of closure to Magirl’s victims.” Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman “Survivors need to know that our office cares and will keep pushing for answers and justice. We will continue pursuing the evidence that may help bring resolution to these cases.” Deputy District Attorney Jack Jacks Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Prosecutor TIMELINE-- *According to police reports, June 24, 1974, Magirl pled guilty to attempted sodomy in Bernalillo County. The sentence was deferred. Magirl was placed on probation. *June 28, 1984, he was convicted of multiple residential burglaries and Criminal Sexual Penetration in cases in Clovis, New Mexico. *July 9, 1984, Magirl entered the New Mexico Corrections Department. *He was discharged from the Central New Mexico Correctional facility on January 2, 2001. *July 8, 2002, we believe he broke into a woman's home in NE Albuquerque and raped her. We are referring to that victim as Jane Doe. *July 20, 2002, Magirl broke into another home in NE Albuquerque and attempted to rape another woman at gunpoint. She awoke to find Magirl on top of her. He threatened to kill her if she didn't comply. She fought for her life, got his gun, and shot and killed him. *On July 10, 2026, we got a CODIS match from the July 2002 case involving Jane Doe. *The Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office will now have Magirl's remains exhumed from the Santa Fe National Cemetery to make sure his DNA is a match to the case involving Jane Doe from the sexual assault July 8, 2002.

CONVICTED — MAN GUILTY OF KIDNAPPING AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTING GIRL DURING THANKSGIVING GATHERING A jury has convicted Ismael Martinez of First-Degree Kidnapping, Criminal Sexual Contact of a Minor, and Battery for crimes committed on Thanksgiving Day 2024. Martinez knew the victim’s family and was at her home for the holiday. During the gathering, he took the 13-year-old girl to a convenience store and sexually assaulted her during the trip. Martinez faces up to 18 years in prison. Sentencing will take place at a later date. Rebekah Reyes and Julia Oliver prosecuted this case.

🎃 MAKING HALLOWEEN SAFE AND FUN FOR THE KIDDOS! 👻 Employees of the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office collected Halloween costumes and donated them to SAFE House (Shelter and Family Empowerment) to help dozens of children enjoy a safe and happy Halloween. ❤️ A special THANK YOU to our Victim Advocates for organizing the donation drive and helping make a difference in the lives of local families. That’s what community is all about! 🎃🧡

WELCOME TO THE TEAM! Today, we welcomed four new colleagues to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office! Our newest team members include attorneys, legal assistants and victim advocates. For various reasons, we do not include staff names in our social media posts, but we’re excited to have them on board!

HONORING THE FALLEN Today, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman joined community leaders and supporters at a 100 Club luncheon honoring the brave law enforcement officers and firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. The 100 Club of New Mexico provides financial and other assistance to the families of sworn law enforcement officers and firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty. We are grateful for those who put their lives on the line to protect our communities — and we will never forget those who gave everything in service to others

MAN WHO STRUCK INNOCENT BYSTANDER DURING ROAD RAGE INCIDENT, LEAVING HER PARALYZED, CONVICTED Today, a jury convicted Austin Kevin Jones of Great Bodily Injury by Vehicle by Reckless Driving. BACKGROUND: The crime happened in September 2024 at Girard Boulevard and Gibson Boulevard. Two muscle cars were drag racing near Jones as they traveled down Girard. Jones became angry and attempted to catch up to them. In doing so, Jones struck an innocent bystander who was driving another vehicle. The victim was just 19 years old. She suffered catastrophic injuries that left her paralyzed. The case was prosecuted by Guin Ice and Carmen Gutierrez. District Attorney Sam Bregman: “This young woman was simply driving her car when someone else’s reckless actions changed her life forever. There is nothing more important than holding people accountable when their dangerous choices cause this kind of devastating harm. I am grateful to Guin Ice and Carmen Gutierrez for their hard work in securing this conviction, and we will continue to fight for victims and pursue justice.”

DRUG TRAFFICKER CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER FOR KIDNAPPING, TORTURING, THEN SETTING REMAINS ON FIRE -- VIDEO: This is lapel-camera footage from a police officer who discovered the defendants trying to burn evidence outside the shed where the crime happened. The video is not graphic. Last week, a jury convicted Virginia Nicasio of first-degree murder for the 2024 beating death of Antonio Taylor in Northwest Albuquerque. Nicasio, a drug trafficker, was angry at Taylor for stealing a Bose speaker and other items from her home. She wanted to make an example of him and ordered Preston Ball to take Taylor to a shed behind her duplex, where he was beaten and tortured. Taylor’s charred remains were later found inside a stolen vehicle on Fourth Street. This was a brutal and calculated killing. A jury has now held Virginia Nicasio accountable for first-degree murder.

MAN WHO SEXUALLY ABUSED 11-YEAR-OLD BOY SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS IN PRISON Today, a judge sentenced Jesse Lopez to 22 years in the New Mexico Corrections Department for sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy. In 2024, Lopez groomed the child using child sexual abuse material before sexually abusing him at least twice. The child bravely disclosed the abuse to another adult, who contacted Albuquerque Police. During the investigation, police discovered violent child sexual abuse material on Lopez’s electronic devices. Lopez later confessed to sexually abusing the boy. Police did not discover a video of the abuse of the 11-year-old. In April, Lopez pleaded guilty to two counts of Criminal Sexual Contact of a Minor and one count of Sexual Exploitation of Children by Manufacturing. The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office will continue to fight for justice for victims of sexual abuse and hold accountable those who prey on children.