A video shows a major brawl that occurred during a court hearing in New Mexico on Friday. The brawl has led to two individuals facing charges of assault and battery against a peace officer.
According to KRQE, the brawl occurred during last Friday’s district court hearing for Alexander Ortiz, a murder suspect in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During the hearing, the murder victim’s uncle, Carlos Lucero, rushed toward the suspect and started punching him as another man, identified by the outlet as Pete Ysasi, also jumped into the brawl.
The video shows the murder suspect standing before a judge in the courtroom before Lucero suddenly jumped over the partition, ran toward the defendant, and started punching him. The video also shows Ysasi, the suspect’s father, and two women also engaging in the brawl. KRQE reported that the courtroom’s peace officer was seen shielding the defendant from the blows of Lucero and Ysasi, resulting in him being punched as he attempted to break up the courtroom brawl.
According to KRQE, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office informed the outlet that Lucero told police deputies that he attacked Ortiz because “he killed my niece like a coward.” Lucero added, “It was worth every moment.”
According to Fox News, Ortiz has been accused of murdering Alianna Farfan, his ex-girlfriend, on January 11, 2024, at an apartment complex in Albuquerque.
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KRQE reported that both Lucero and Ysasi are currently facing charges of assault and battery on a peace officer.
Addressing the importance of courtroom security, Katina Watson, the CEO of Second Judicial District Court, told KRQE, “This is just one more incident that we continue to deal with, these are the types of things that we see regularly.”
Watson also commended the court officer for quickly taking action to diffuse the situation on Friday. “I really want to give recognition to the MDC officer who was caught in the middle of this, and he did everything he could to ensure the safety of everyone,” she told KRQE.