SANTA FE – The trial of a Santa Fe woman accused of firing a gun into her neighbor's yard, killing a young man, is set to begin this week.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that 65-year-old Beverly Melendez was found competent to stand trial for one count of second-degree murder.
According to prosecutors, Melendez, angry about her neighbor's house party, grabbed a .22-caliber rifle and got up on a stool. She opened fire over a wall separating them.
Authorities say one bullet struck 19-year-old Rodrigo Enriquez-Garay in the back. People at the party rushed him to the hospital where he died.
Defense attorneys as recently as last month filed a motion that Melendez have a second psychiatric evaluation. According to her legal team, a social worker observed her being forgetful and paranoid.
State prosecutors criticized the motion as an “11th-hour play.”
The motion was denied.
Melendez also faces two counts of negligent use of a deadly weapon. If convicted on all charges, she faces up to 16 years in prison.
