APD: 2 teens arrested for murdering woman on Fourth of July

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Police booked two teenagers into jail overnight for their alleged roles in the Fourth of July murder of Alana Gamboa in Albuquerque.

Lorenzo Lovato, 14, and Micalas McClendon, Jr., 15, were booked into Bernalillo County juvenile jail.

According to the criminal complaint, the teens set up a drug deal with Gamboa, with the intention to rob her instead. She agreed to meet up with them in the area of Kathryn Ave. S.E. and Columbia Dr. S.E.

Police say when Gamboa arrived, around 12:30 a.m., she was shot while she was sitting in the driver’s seat of her car.

Albuquerque detectives pieced together the details of the murder based on social media conversations, information from witnesses, and surveillance video.

Once Lovato was identified, police learned he was on supervised probation with the juvenile probation office.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for his phone number, found he was at the shooting scene and gathered enough evidence to obtain an arrest warrant Thursday. That same day, they say they tracked Lovato down to an apartment complex on Girard.

While there, they also detained and questioned McClendon. Police allege he gave inconsistent statements and later admitted to shooting Gamboa.

When police told Andrea Aguirre, Gamboa’s mom, that they knew who killed her daughter, she dropped to her knees.

“I thanked God,” Aguirre said. “Because for a while I was really angry. I was angry. I knew that these kids were on the street still, and I didn’t want them to hurt another child.”

Aguirre said she was at least glad to know what happened to her daughter.

“This is just the beginning now because these are kids and I don’t want them out when they’re 21,” Aguirre said. “They’re violent criminals that have previous criminal history. They do not deserve to be out socializing with the community.”

MORE:

• Albuquerque mother seeks answers in daughter’s death
• APD investigates overnight shooting for second morning in a row