Roman Valenciano, 19, was killed in a road rage shooting on Thursday, March 26, 2026, on San Mateo Boulevard close to Constitution Avenue in northeast Albuquerque, New Mexico. After ending his job at Burger King, Valenciano was headed south in his gray Nissan Sentra to pick up his mother when a silver Ford Mustang abruptly turned around at Phoenix Road and blocked his way.
The Mustang then brake-checked the Sentra and stopped in the road before accelerating and pulling parallel to the passenger side near Tully’s Restaurant at 1425 San Mateo Boulevard. The driver of the Mustang opened fire striking Valenciano in the head. His car rolled to a stop as he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by Albuquerque Fire Rescue.
The shooter was identified as 31-year-old Cecilio Sanchez Lopez of Albuquerque who was on probation for a previous felony conviction. Surveillance video captured the Mustang’s maneuvers and the ShotSpotter system recorded gunfire at 1:48 p.m. near the same location.
Lopez fled the scene but was tracked using license plate readers and arrested at a North Valley home later that day by Albuquerque Police Department SWAT officers. He faces an open count of murder shooting at or from a motor vehicle resulting in death tampering with evidence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Roman Valenciano was remembered by his mother Deborah as someone whose smile was contagious and who always loved making others laugh even on bad days. He enjoyed cooking baking playing video games and was a hard worker who had just finished his shift at Burger King. Family described him as outgoing their rock and best friend with a pure heart that left a lasting impact on everyone he met. His death has left the family devastated as they mourn a young man who was on his way to pick up his mother when the road rage attack occurred on San Mateo Boulevard.
Cecilio Lopez had a prior murder charge as a teenager that was dismissed according to court records. He is being held in the Bernalillo County Detention Center pending a detention hearing. The Albuquerque Police Department has emphasized that the shooting was a cold-blooded act that began with aggressive driving and ended in lethal gunfire on San Mateo Boulevard near Constitution Avenue. The case has drawn significant attention in the northeast Albuquerque community where residents have expressed outrage over the senseless violence.
The Albuquerque community has rallied in support of Roman Valenciano’s family with a GoFundMe established to help with funeral expenses and grief support. Friends and neighbors have shared memories of his kind nature and positive energy while calling for justice in the road rage shooting on San Mateo Boulevard. The tragedy has heightened concerns about aggressive driving and gun violence in the city’s northeast side where the incident unfolded during afternoon hours.
