Albuquerque Retrial: Fatal Shots at Bar Parking Structure
Prosecutors argue Isaac Martinez fired four shots that killed Jonathan Garza in 2022, while the defense claims a companion was the actual shooter.
By Emmanuel Faure ·
Four gunshots struck Jonathan Garza in the back, killing the 30-year-old fitness trainer as he exited a bar in Downtown Albuquerque. Prosecutors told a jury on Monday that Isaac Martinez, 24, fired those fatal rounds in the top level of a parking structure outside the Canvas Artistry bar at First and Central.
Testimony began Monday in the second trial of Martinez, who faces charges including first-degree murder and conspiracy. The proceedings are scheduled to continue through Friday in 2nd Judicial District Court under Judge Brett Loveless. This retrial follows a July 2025 mistrial in which a jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of convicting Martinez of first-degree murder.
The defense offered a different account of the night's events. Elizabeth Bunker, Martinez's attorney, told jurors that one of Martinez's companions fired the gunshots. She identified Alejandro Barton, who owned the maroon Jeep SUV and was driving the vehicle at the time of the killing, as the shooter. Bunker stated, "You will learn that Mr. Martinez did absolutely nothing."
Barton, 26, was originally charged with first-degree murder and other counts related to Garza's death. In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and conspiracy. He was subsequently sentenced to six and a half years in prison. Prosecutors dismissed the murder charge against Barton after his plea.
According to the prosecution, several fights broke out around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 19, 2022, as Canvas Artistry closed and customers spilled onto the third level of the parking structure. Garza was defending his brother, who had attempted to break up a fight. Prosecutors argued the melee was winding down when Martinez stepped out of the Jeep and opened fire.
The case has drawn attention to the sequence of events during the closing hours of a popular Downtown establishment. The legal team for the state maintains that Martinez was the active participant in the violence, while the defense team contends that Barton bore primary responsibility for the discharge of the weapon. The jury will now hear witness accounts to determine which version of the facts holds weight.
Olivier Uyttebrouck covers the courts and legal affairs for the publication reporting on the case. The outcome of this trial will determine the final verdict in the 2022 shooting death.
