Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — Two Albuquerque murder suspects were arrested Tuesday by the U.S. Marshal Service in Alamosa, CO. The pair are charged for the shooting death of Alexander DeHerrera at the Cinnamon Tree Apartments in Albuquerque on April 19, 2024.
Euphemia Rivas, 27, and Jacob Romero, 26, are both charged with an open count of murder. The shotgun blast that killed DeHerrera also struck Rivas’s sister, Alyssa Esquibal, who was in the vehicle with DeHerrera.
Euphemia Rivas was living at the apartment complex, located at 7220 Central Ave., S.E., and was hanging out with her sister, Alyssa Esquibel, on April 19. Esquibel later told detectives she called DeHerrera, who was her boyfriend, to pick her up from the apartment. They left the apartment, but later returned. Esquibel said she stayed in the vehicle while DeHerrera went inside the apartment.
After about five minutes, DeHerrera ran from the apartment to the vehicle and said, “We gotta go.” He got in the driver’s seat and started to reverse when Rivas approached and grabbed onto the opened front passenger window. As DeHerrera continued to pull out of the parking space, an unknown male exited the apartment. He was wearing a black and white bandana. Esquibel said she heard her sister, Rivas, yell, “shoot,” and then observed the male holding a shotgun. The male pointed the gun toward the vehicle and shot once.
Esquibel said the vehicle crashed into the vehicle, and as he got out of the driver’s seat, she realized he had been shot. DeHerrera collapsed in the parking lot. Esquibel was also struck by pellets from the shotgun blast and suffered minor injuries to her arm. DeHerrera was transported to the hospital where he died as a result of his wounds.
APD detectives later learned from New Mexico State Police officers that Rivas fled to Chama after the homicide and was telling residents that she was responsible for Shooting DeHerrera and her sister. Rivas stated she was planning to flee to Texas to avoid police.
The U.S. Marshal Service arrested Rivas and Romero Tuesday night in Alamosa, CO. They will be transported to Albuquerque to be booked into the Metro Detention Center.
