A Dulce resident has admitted guilt in a case involving the discharge of a handgun inside a vehicle, which resulted in serious injury to another person.
Court records indicate that on July 21, 2025, Leandrew Cody Velarde, age 22 and an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, became intoxicated at a park. The victim and another individual offered him a ride home. While inside their vehicle, an argument broke out. During this altercation, Velarde handled a handgun he had brought with him. The gun discharged and struck the victim. The injured person was airlifted to a hospital but survived.
Following the incident, Velarde left the scene and disposed of the firearm. Law enforcement later recovered both the weapon and a spent shell casing. Authorities arrested Velarde nearby; he was found with marijuana, alcohol, and a cell phone.
Velarde pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He could face up to ten years in prison when sentenced.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced the plea agreement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office led the investigation with help from the Jicarilla Apache Nation Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting the case.
