An Albuquerque teenager faced a judge for the first time after police say he killed an Uber driver in an unprovoked attack last week.
Uber driver killed by Albuquerque teen
Authorities took 18-year-old Sheliky Sanchez into custody late Friday night, accusing him of repeatedly shooting 59-year-old Joseph Andrus before stealing his car.
According to court filings, Sanchez openly confessed to the killing, telling investigators it was done “to let off some steam.”
Investigators say Sanchez asked his girlfriend to get him an Uber ride because he was feeling agitated and wanted an outlet for his anger.
He allegedly told her he couldn’t take his frustrations out on certain people in his life, so he would target someone else instead.
Sanchez allegedly scrolled through the list of available drivers, deliberately choosing Andrus.
Detectives say the two spoke at length during the ride, with Sanchez later telling officers that the Uber driver “was actually really cool.”
When they reached the destination — a residence on Merlida in Southwest Albuquerque — police say Sanchez ordered the driver out of his vehicle.
Moments later, he allegedly fired off multiple gunshots, leaving Andrus mortally wounded at the scene.
Teen fesses up after Uber driver killed in unprovoked attack
In his interview with detectives, Sanchez allegedly admitted feeling “bad for him a little bit, but just getting that satisfaction out, out of the way. It’s like a relief. Like taking an in and out breath.”
After the killing, Sanchez is accused of fleeing with the victim’s vehicle, which police found parked outside his girlfriend’s home the next morning.
When questioned, Sanchez initially denied being involved. He claimed he’d been home sleeping, insisted he had not taken an Uber, and said friends had driven him around earlier.
He further claimed that he bought Andrus’ car with cash from someone else and was unaware it was stolen or connected to a homicide.
Detectives, skeptical of his shifting story, pressed further. Eventually, Sanchez allegedly conceded that he had in fact shot Andrus.
When asked directly if the Uber ride had been arranged with the intent to steal the car or kill the driver, Sanchez’s answer was blunt: “to shoot him.”
When pressed on why he singled out Andrus, Sanchez reportedly replied, “he seemed like a good guy,” adding, “I don’t go for good people.”
Prosecutors have charged Sanchez with murder, armed robbery, and tampering with evidence.
He remains in custody without bond at the Metropolitan Detention Center as the case moves to District Court.
Man found guilty of shooting bus passenger for failing to apologize
In another violent outburst, police in Baltimore say a heated argument over a minor bump on a city bus ended with one man shot dead.
The incident occurred around 2 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2024, when officers responding to reports of gunfire found an unidentified male suffering from gunshot wounds.
Medics rushed the victim to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
Days later, authorities arrested 61-year-old Baltimore resident James Richburg, charging him in the killing of 30-year-old William Womack.
According to investigators, the two men had clashed after Womack accidentally bumped into Richburg without offering an apology.
Charging documents indicate the bump escalated into a verbal confrontation.
Witnesses said the argument continued even after Womack stepped off and then reboarded the bus.
At that point, police allege, Richburg pulled out a firearm and opened fire.
After the shooting, Richburg allegedly fled the scene, while Womack collapsed inside the bus.
Witness accounts quickly led police to identify Richburg as the suspected gunman.
In court, Richburg’s defense team argued the shooting was an act of self-defense.
“It is Mr. Richburg trying to warn Mr. Womack off. It is in response [to] Mr. Womack continuing to threaten and harangue Mr. Richburg. In the moment, Mr. Richburg understood Mr. Womack coming to harm him.”
Prosecutors countered with video footage from the MTA transit bus. The recording, they said, showed Womack bending to retrieve a dropped bottle before accidentally bumping into Richburg.
There was no apology, but also no physical aggression beyond that moment.
Charging documents allege Womack’s continued verbal jabs irritated Richburg, leading him to say, “I’m not going to let you live.”
Defense attorneys argued that, even if their client uttered those words, he was reacting out of concern for his own safety, despite Womack being unarmed.
“Mr. Womack, he has committed a battery under the laws of the state of Maryland. Mr. Womack continues to harangue and harass Mr. Richburg. Mr. Richburg’s fight or flight instinct was already heightened because he was on the bus,” the defense claimed.
Last week, a jury found Richburg guilty of second-degree murder, use of a firearm during a violent crime, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
The final charge stems from Richburg’s prior convictions — a 2021 sentence of five years for illegal firearm possession, and a robbery conviction dating back to 1996.
Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 10. According to prosecutors, Richburg faces up to 75 years behind bars.
