Downtown murder suspect to be held in jail until trial

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A man charged with the 2021 murder of a well-known fitness trainer will stay behind bars until his trial.

Armando Martinez is the third suspect charged in the shooting death of Jonathan Garza. It happened outside of Canvas Artistry in February 2021.

Prosecutors argued the nature of the charges proved he is a danger. His codefendants, Isaac Martinez and Alejandro Barton, are also behind bars now.

Defense lawyers argued conditions of release could be drawn up to keep the community safe.

While Judge David Murphy sided with prosecutors, he noted new evidence could change things.

“I do find the state has met its burden. However, there are some things that give me pause about it. Ms. Schafer’s correct in that this complaint is maybe minimal as to what this defendant’s involvement is and further discovery could change that,” Judge Murphy said.

Any new evidence in the case could allow the defense to file for a reconsideration of Martinez’s release.