EL PASO, Texas — A 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged in connection with a shooting that left a man seriously injured last week in northwest El Paso, according to an arrest affidavit filed August 21.
The shooting occurred on August 14, around the intersection of Enchanted Springs Drive and Willie Mier Street. Officers with the Westside Regional Command responded to the scene and found the victim, identified as 41-year-old Daniel Torres, suffering from gunshot wounds to his left arm and torso. Torres was rushed to University Medical Center for life-saving treatment.
Witnesses told police they saw a gray Dodge Charger speeding away from the scene, and a male suspect fleeing on foot after standing near the vehicle. Both the vehicle and the individual were seen turning left onto Nearpoint Drive. Several witnesses also reported that a similar car had been seen frequently in the area and described it as a known neighborhood nuisance.
Detectives with the Crimes Against Persons Unit took over the investigation. Surveillance video collected from the neighborhood showed Torres’ truck being followed closely by a gray Dodge Charger. Although the shooting was not visible on camera, three gunshots could be heard on the recording.
Investigators used law enforcement databases to identify a matching 2022 gray Dodge Charger with New Mexico license plates registered to Marina Bianca Melendez, the defendant’s mother. The vehicle was traced to an address in Las Cruces, and another at 2391 Enchanted Crown Drive, which is in the area where the shooting took place.
On August 20, detectives located the suspect vehicle in the 2300 block of Enchanted Crown and observed it matched distinctive features seen in the surveillance footage, including black rims and a sunroof.
Later that same day, officers stopped Melendez while she was driving a BMW for a traffic violation and obtained a voluntary statement from her. During questioning, Melendez revealed that she kept two handguns locked in her bedroom closet at the Enchanted Crown residence. She stated her son, Elijah Gabriel Marquez Duran, was the only other person who had access to the locked room and admitted he had spoken to her about the shooting after she saw social media reports of the incident.
Melendez also told detectives that her son would be dropping off his younger brother at Alderete Middle School the following morning and believed he would cooperate with authorities.
On August 21, detectives conducted surveillance outside the school and observed Marquez-Duran dropping off his brother. He agreed to speak with investigators and later provided a full confession to police detectives.
According to the affidavit, the defendant admitted to getting into an argument with Torres at the intersection before firing three shots with a handgun and fleeing the scene.
The case remains under investigation, and charges are pending. On Monday, El Paso police identified the teen, noting he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on Saturday.
Court records show the teen appeared before a judge for his bond hearing on Monday, and was released on Tuesday after he posted a $100,000 surety bond.
Authorities have not yet disclosed whether the firearm used in the shooting was one of the handguns stored at Melendez’s home.
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