Albuquerque, NM – Two men are facing multiple felony charges following an auto theft investigation that allegedly led to the recovery of stolen firearms in Albuquerque earlier this month.
According to New Mexico State Police, the incident began Monday, April 6, 2026, when auto theft agents were conducting an operation near San Pedro and Central Avenue. Authorities said agents observed a white Chevy Tahoe parked at a gas station, where the rear-seat passenger, later identified as Mario Garcia, allegedly appeared to be arguing with a homeless man.
Investigators said Garcia allegedly brandished a firearm from his waistband during the confrontation before the vehicle left the area. Agents followed the Tahoe and initiated what officials described as a high-risk traffic stop.
During the stop, police said the front-seat passenger, identified as D’Andre Fortune, was allegedly found concealing a firearm in his waistband. A records check revealed the weapon had been reported stolen, and Fortune allegedly has a prior felony conviction within the past 10 years, according to authorities.
A subsequent inventory of the vehicle led agents to allegedly discover a second handgun in the back seat where Garcia had been sitting. The vehicle was then seized pending a search warrant.
On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, agents executed that warrant and confirmed the second firearm had also been reported stolen out of Gallup, according to police.
Garcia was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a stolen firearm. Fortune was also booked on charges including possession of a stolen firearm, resisting an officer, and felon in possession of a firearm.
Officials say the arrests underscore ongoing efforts to remove illegal firearms from the community.
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