{"id":31013,"date":"2023-10-24T16:18:53","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T22:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/aztec-teenagers-charged-in-farmington-drive-by-killing\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T01:32:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:32:40","slug":"aztec-teenagers-charged-in-farmington-drive-by-killing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/aztec-teenagers-charged-in-farmington-drive-by-killing\/","title":{"rendered":"Aztec teenagers charged in Farmington drive-by killing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Farmington
Farmington Police investigate a fatal shooting Oct. 19 off Gooding Lane in west Farmington. (Debra Mayeux\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

A preliminary hearing has been set for the two men accused in the Oct. 19 shooting death of a Farmington man.<\/p>\n

Farmington Police arrested Bryce Trujillo, 18, and Emilio Hilliard, 19, both from Aztec, in connection with the drive-by shooting in the area of Gooding Lane and East Main Street that resulted in the death of Ethan Thompson, 23, of Farmington, according to an affidavit for arrest warrant.<\/p>\n

Trujillo and Hilliard are scheduled to appear Nov. 1 in Magistrate Mark Hawkinson\u2019s courtroom.<\/p>\n

Both men went before Magistrate Stanley King on Oct. 24. King decided to release Hilliard from the San Juan County Detention Center and place him on an ankle monitor, while Trujillo will be held in the detention center on other charges.<\/p>\n

\"Bryce
Bryce Trujillo, 18, of Aztec, was arrested and charged in connection to the Oct. 19 drive-by shooting that killed a 23-year-old Farmington man.<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

According to the affidavit for arrest warrant, Thompson and his friend Anfernee Antone were walking northbound Gooding Lane on the sidewalk, heading toward the Speedway gas station on Main Street, when Antone said \u201che observed a car turn south on Gooding Lane. The car backed up and Antone heard shots.\u201d<\/p>\n

Antone told police, \u201che looked back and saw Thompson fall to the ground,\u201d according to the affidavit.<\/p>\n

Thompson reportedly \u201cwas shot in the face, and had an injury to the eye area,\u201d the affidavit states.<\/p>\n

\"Emilio
Emilio Hilliard, 19, of Aztec, was arrested and charged in connection to the Oct. 19 drive-by shooting that killed a 23-year-old Farmington man.<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Antone and two other individuals attempted to provide lifesaving measures to Thompson until another officer \u201carrived on scene and started CPR.\u201d Thompson was taken to San Juan Regional, where he died, according to the affidavit and earlier reports from police.<\/p>\n

Police asked Antone what type of vehicle was involved in the shooting, but he was unable to provide a description, instead a nearby residents told police \u201cthey observed a white Ford Focus with tinted windows drive past their residence,\u201d and the saw it \u201ctravel at a high rate of speed through the neighborhoods,\u201d according to the affidavit.<\/p>\n

Another area resident told police they saw the \u201cwhite sedan stopped, for approximately two seconds, next to the male lying on the ground and continued driving north,\u201d according to the affidavit.<\/p>\n

Officer Waylon Wasson was manning the Farmington Police Department\u2019s Real Time Crime Center at the time of the shooting and reportedly observed the Ford Focus exit Gooding Lane and travel eastbound on West Main Street. He tracked the vehicle \u201cusing cameras and license plate readers in the area,\u201d locating it at the intersection of West Main Street and Murray Drive. \u201cThe vehicle turned south on Murray Drive and then went west on the Bisti Highway,\u201d according to the affidavit.<\/p>\n

It was New Mexico State Police that stopped the vehicle and arrested Trujillo and Hilliard and transported them to the Farmington Police Department for questioning, the affidavit states.<\/p>\n

According to the affidavit, when detectives questioned Hilliard, he reportedly told police \u201che and his friend Bryce were going to a friend\u2019s house when there was a possible robbery.\u201d However, when he was advised of his Miranda rights, he stated that \u201che wanted a lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n

When detectives questioned Trujillo, he reportedly was \u201caggressive and argumentative\u201d and used \u201cracial and derogatory terms referring to black, white and Native people.\u201d He also reportedly gave detectives a fake name, the affidavit states.<\/p>\n

Trujillo also told police, \u201che was coming from Napi with his friend Emilio and that they were on their way home when they got stopped.\u201d He \u201cdenied they had been in Farmington driving around,\u201d according to the affidavit.<\/p>\n