Court document reveals details of road rage shooting

A criminal complaint details the road rage incident that ended in the deadly shooting of a 4-year-old girl in Albuquerque Tuesday.

Tony Torrez, 31, is facing an open count of murder and several other charges in connection to the death of Lilly Garcia.

“This is possibly one of the most wanton and atrocious acts as alleged in the history of this city. It is clearly a crime of violence,” Judge Chris Schultz told Torrez at his first appearance Thursday. “If members of the motoring public receive gunfire for a perceived slight on the highway, I don’t know who is safe.”

Judge Schultz kept Torrez’s bond at $650,000 cash only.

The complaint states the girl’s father, Alan Garcia, was driving westbound on Interstate 40 when a red Toyota cut him off and blocked him from exiting at Unser. Garcia told authorities he threw his hands in the air and gestured toward the driver, calling him, “f***ing idiot.”

Garcia then observed the driver pull into the far south lane approaching the driver’s side of his vehicle. According to the complaint, the driver said something and Garcia accelerated his vehicle to put distance between the two vehicles.

Garcia said he then heard two shots strike his truck and his 7-year-old son say, “she’s bleeding.”

The complaint states Garcia heard a third shot and began to swerve and accelerate in an attempt to distance himself from the other vehicle. The Toyota continued to pursue them westbound and Garcia slammed on his brakes. As the Toyota passed, Garcia said he heard another shot.

Garcia stopped his truck in the shoulder and called 911 as he attempted to render aid to his daughter, who had been shot in the head. The child later died at UNM Hospital.

The next morning, police received a call from an anonymous person who identified the shooter as Tony Torrez.

Torrez allegedly told the tipster that he shot the girl on I-40. The tipster gave police two possible addresses for Torrez.

Wednesday afternoon, officers arrested Torrez near Central and Sunset.

Albuquerque police were able to obtain warrants for Torrez’s home in the 7600 block of Saltbrush SW. When they searched the home, they found the suspect red/maroon Toyota they had been searching for inside Torrez’s garage. A warrant was also signed so police could search the vehicle.

Police say they also recovered the gun believed to have been used in Lilly’s shooting death at Torrez’s home.

Torrez is scheduled to face a judge Thursday afternoon.

NBC Nightly News spoke with Lilly’s grieving parents Thursday. They are overcome by the outpouring of support from the Albuquerque community.

“The amazing support that Albuquerque, the state of New Mexico, all over the country — has contacted my husband, myself, my family, it’s just been, um…just umm…overwhelming,” Lilly’s mother, Veronica, said. “And I thank everybody from the bottom of my heart for their prayers.”

“I don’t know…I have no words to express my gratitude for everybody really coming unfortunately together for such a tragic event,” her father, Alan, said. “I don’t wish this on anybody.”

A candlelight vigil will take place for Lilly Saturday at Civic Plaza in Albuquerque at 6:30 p.m. More information on the vigil is available here. A GoFundMe page has also been set up for the family.

KOB spoke with MDC spokeswoman Nataura Powdrell Thursday evening about a rumor going around Facebook that Torrez had either been released from jail or is set to be released soon.

Powdrell reiterated that Torrez is still in jail and will have to pay the $650,000 cash-only bond in order to get out.

This story originally appeared at KOB.com