A judge has ordered DeAngelo Lee to remain behind bars until his trial in connection with a fatal shooting in Northeast Albuquerque that police say began as a dispute over an expensive wristwatch. The case centers on the July 2023 killing of David Torres, who police say died after Lee allegedly showed up at an apartment trying to get his watch back.
A Scooter Ride Ends in Gunfire
According to KOB 4, Albuquerque police said Lee went to the Northeast Albuquerque apartment on July 22, 2023, specifically to retrieve his watch, and that he killed a man in the process. A witness told investigators that Lee rode a lime scooter to the apartment before firing a gun through the screen door, the station reported. That same witness account identified the man killed in the shooting as David Torres.
Detectives were able to tie the scooter itself to Lee, tracing the purchase of the lime scooter back to him, according to the station's report. That detail became a key thread connecting Lee to the scene in the time after the shooting.
Conflicting Accounts on Lee's Whereabouts
The timeline around Lee's arrest is murkier than it might first appear. KRQE previously reported that authorities were actively searching for Lee, stating that he was “currently wanted for an open count of murder” and that “his whereabouts are unknown.” That account stands in contrast to the more recent report that a judge has now ordered him held until trial, and the available information does not explain the gap between those two points in the case's timeline.
Neither report provides additional detail resolving when or how Lee came into custody, and this article does not attempt to reconcile the two accounts beyond presenting them as reported.
How New Mexico's Pretrial Detention Rules Work
The decision to keep Lee jailed pending trial falls under New Mexico's court procedures governing pretrial detention in felony cases. Rule 5-409, as outlined by the New Mexico Legislature, allows a district court to order a defendant charged with a felony offense detained ahead of trial. Guidance from the New Mexico Supreme Court lays out the procedures for pretrial detention hearings under that rule, including whether a defendant is considered likely to pose a threat to the safety of others if released while the case moves forward.
No further details, including the identity of the judge who issued the order, the specific charge filed against Lee, or a scheduled trial date, were available in the reporting reviewed for this story.
