13-year-old boy accused of murder appears in court

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 13-year-old murder suspect had his first court appearance Friday.

Marcos Barela is accused of shooting and killing 23-year-old Sydney Wilson after she confronted him and a group of teens for allegedly stealing her car Monday night.

Judge William Parnall ordered Barela to stay in custody pending trial.

TIMELINE

More than a day before the shooting at Coors and Central, Wilson reported her car was stolen and she was tracking it at various locations around town.

“The officers from the Albuquerque Polic Department were dispatched at least three times to assist in trying to locate the vehicle,” said APD Chief Harold Medina at a news conference Friday morning.

Medina said officers were not able to find the stolen car.

“She had some sort of tracking device but unfortunately the tracking device had some type of delay that we don’t have all the details to,” Medina said.

APD released a detailed timeline of events leading up to the shooting. It listed a number of reports and interactions regarding the car, involving APD officers, dispatchers, and Wilson herself.

Wilson and the tracking company she was using were giving APD updates on her car’s whereabouts on Sunday and early Monday.

“Many times, we got the information that 20 minutes prior the vehicle was at such and such address,” Medina said. “Officers would get there – in some circumstances, I was told they saw the vehicle already leaving as they got there – but were unable to locate the vehicle due to the time delay from the app to the actual vehicle location.”

According to APD, Wilson was told not to approach the vehicle.

By Monday night, Wilson tracked it to a gas station near Central and Coors, where she reportedly saw teenagers inside her car.

“She thought, ‘Oh, they’re just a bunch of teenagers, I’m going to get out and scare them off, and I’m going to have my car back,'” said Crystal Miller, Wilson’s sister. “That’s just her train of thought, that’s just who she was.”

Investigators say when Wilosn approached the car, 13-year-old Marcos Barela allegedly shot and killed her.

“We truly want to remind the public that if our officers are endangered by these individuals – with all the equipment, training, and the uniform – these individuals would have no problem hurting an everyday individual that has no means to protect themselves,” Medina said.

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• 13-year-old suspect in fatal shooting turns himself in