Daniel Fernandez was screaming in pain and holding his right leg March 28 when a witness flagged down police on El Llano Road.
“He was screaming that he’s in (expletive) pain and where are the (expletive) paramedics and it hurts,” the witness said Monday.
Fernandez, aka Dopey, 25, of Hernandez, and his friend Willie “Chucky” Cordova had been walking northbound near Vista del Rio Apartments at about noon when a silver car with three people inside stopped and fired six or seven rounds, the witness said. Cordova fell to the ground and Fernandez tried to run, the witness said.
Fernandez was struck in the leg by one of the .45 caliber bullets, Española Police Sgt. Christian Lopez said. Seven shell casings were found off the side of the road.
The witness said Cordova didn’t assist Fernandez and left before police arrived. A police report contradicts this part of the witness’ account and states Cordova was giving aid to Fernandez when the first officer arrived.
Fernandez was taken to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque where he underwent orthopedic surgery on his leg, Lopez said.
About four hours after the shooting, Richard “Yogi” Padilla Jr., 17, of Española, went to the Española Police station with his mother and turned himself in. Padilla admitted to shooting Fernandez, Lopez said.
“(Padilla) gave a better statement than the victim did of what happened,” Lopez said.
Lopez said the shooting was related to an ongoing issue between Padilla and Fernandez, but had nothing to do with gang activity or drugs. Fernandez is described as a Sureños gang member in the police report, but he told police he didn’t know who shot him or why.
Padilla told police he threw the handgun in the Santa Cruz River. Consequently, Padilla was charged with tampering with evidence in addition to aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and shooting at or from a motor vehicle.
Padilla was being held at the Santa Fe County Juvenile Detention Center awaiting a detention hearing to determine if he would be held longer, Lopez said.