A jury on Wednesday found Jose Alberto Orozco not guilty in the 2023 road rage shooting that killed 32-year-old Marcos Fino Jr., delivering the first criminal verdict in a case that has weighed on El Paso's Upper Valley since last summer. The acquittal ends criminal exposure for one of three family members charged, while Fino's death and the pending cases against Orozco's father and brother still hang over the neighborhood.
According to KFOX14/CBS4, the El Paso County District Attorney's Office confirmed that the jury cleared Jose Alberto Orozco of murder. The outlet reports that Fino was shot twice during the confrontation and later died at a hospital.
How investigators describe the confrontation
KVIA ABC-7 reports that court documents describe a chain of events that started with a damaged mailbox. Investigators say Raul Alberto Orozco followed a Chrysler 300 he believed had hit the family's mailbox, then rear-ended the car and called his sons to come to the scene. According to the affidavit and witness statements, a physical fight followed, shots were fired and Fino's 10-year-old son saw the violence unfold from the backseat of the Chrysler.
As KFOX14 notes, the cases against Raul Alberto and Cristian Bradley Orozco are still active. Raul's jury trial is currently set for August 7, and Cristian's for September 18. Each man will have a separate trial, where prosecutors must again convince a jury of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
KVIA reports that the Orozco family left the scene after the shooting and later contacted police. Neighbors who spoke with reporters described the family as "good people." The same outlet noted that a GoFundMe set up after the June 2023 shooting raised money to help cover Fino's funeral expenses.
What comes next
With one acquittal on the books, focus now shifts to the late summer and early fall, when two more juries are scheduled to hear evidence in the remaining cases. As with any criminal proceeding, court dates and filings can change, and local court calendars will show the latest updates as they are entered.
